Lakers: Frank Vogel Saved His Job With the Utah Jazz Win

Close call for Frank, who is on the hot seat.

The Lakers really needed a win on Monday night. The way things are going, another big loss might have felt like the final straw for a team that has struggled to keep its head above water.

As it turns out, that could have ended up being the final straw for Frank Vogel. The latest report from The LA Times suggests that Vogel is very much on the hot seat, and a loss against the Jazz on Monday could have cost him his job.

However, following the Lakers’ 101-95 win against the Jazz on Monday, their best victory of the season, The Athletic reported Vogel’s job was in jeopardy. People with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Times that a bad loss to Utah could’ve been the final straw.

The good news for Vogel is that the Lakers did pull out a win, and it was huge for them. But the bad news seems to be that his job is very much on the line, and could remain that way game-to-game for the entire year. 

The Lakers came into the season with very mediocre expectations from experts. And yet somehow, they've managed to drastically fail to meet even those expectations. Struggling to maintain a .500 record is hardly the standard for this franchise, and not winning will never be acceptable. 

So while Vogel remains the coach, for now, that could change very quickly. Especially if Kurt Rambis and Jeannie Buss determine that they would be better off going a different direction.