Report: Hornacek to emerge as candidate for Pacers' coaching vacancy
The search for the Indiana Pacers' new head coach is on after team president Larry Bird announced Thursday that Frank Vogel's contract wasn't going to be renewed.
Former Phoenix Suns coach Jeff Hornacek is expected to emerge as a top candidate to be Vogel's replacement, league sources told CBS Sports' Ken Berger.
Bird made it clear during his news conference that he wanted the Pacers to become a more offensive-oriented team after finishing the regular season ranked 17th in points per game (102.2) and 23rd in offensive rating (102.4 points per 100 possessions), per NBA Stats.
During Hornacek's first year on the job in Phoenix back in 2013-14, the Suns scored 105.2 points per game (7th) and had the league's eighth-best offense (107.1), with players like Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, and Gerald Green leading the team's run-and-gun style.
Hornacek (101-112) was relieved of his duties back in February after beginning the 2015-16 campaign with a 14-35 record, which was good enough for 13th in the Western Conference at the time. Phoenix had also lost 19 of their previous 21 games, resulting in a change on the sidelines with assistant Earl Watson being named the interim coach.
Chicago Bulls associate head coach Jim Boylen's name is also being linked to the vacancy in Indiana, reports Berger.