New York Knicks: Frank Vogel A Big Phil Jackson Fan

As fate would have it, emerging coaching candidate Frank Vogel is a big fan of New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson.

Over the past six seasons, Frank Vogel has earned a reputation as one of the best coaches in the NBA. He led the Indiana Pacers to resurgent success, making two Eastern Conference Finals appearances and ranking in the Top 10 in scoring defense in five consecutive campaigns—one of which was played almost entirely without a then injured Paul George.

True as that all may be, team president Larry Bird isn’t sure if he’s going to extend Vogel once his contract expires in June.

Opportunity knocks for your New York Knicks.

Having already outlined why the Knicks need to hire Vogel, it’s safe to call the following information a stunning revelation. Three years ago, the 42-year-old made comments that epitomized why he would be the perfect fit in New York.

During an interview with NUVO’s Mark Dubec, Vogel spoke at length about his being a huge Phil Jackson fan (h/t Marc Berman of The New York Post).

"“From the standpoint of studying the NBA game, I was always a big fan of Phil Jackson and his approach,” Vogel said. “Obviously, he had great players, but there were a lot of coaches with great players that didn’t win at the level he did. That was a big reason why I hired Brian Shaw. He was as close to Phil as anyone could be, and I thought I could rely on that experience, and it’s been awesome.”"

It’s safe to say Vogel would be open to working with the Knicks’ team president.

Vogel isn’t just a fan of Jackson as a coach; he’s gone as far as hiring people close to him so he can study The Zen Master’s ways. Brian Shaw was an assistant in Indiana from 2011 to 2013, and installed many Triangle Offense principles in the Pacers’ offense.

With David West at the elbow and Roy Hibbert down low, Vogel proved himself more than willing to utilize aspects of the vaunted system.

Before he was an assistant to Vogel, Shaw was both a player and assistant under Jackson. He was a key role player for Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2003, helping the team win three consecutive championships between 2000 and 2002.

Shaw went on to become an assistant coach to Jackson from 2005 to 2011, helping The Zen Master win two more championships and make a third NBA Finals appearance.

Vogel’s commitment to learning from The Zen Master at a distance suggests he’d jump at the opportunity to do so with a working relationship. One would imagine Jackson would be open to bringing Shaw to New York as an assistant, and it stands to reason that Shaw would accept working with his friend, Vogel, again.

If that falls through, it’s conceivable that Vogel would at least consider bringing Kurt Rambis onto his coaching staff for the same reasons he contacted Shaw in 2011.

More knicks: Five reasons the New York Knicks need to hire Frank Vogel

From one humble mind to the masses, if it’s possible to do so, New York must get this done.