Lakers' Next Head Coach: Los Angeles Officially Hires Darvin Ham For 2022-2023 Season

The Los Angeles Lakers' lengthy head coaching search has officially come to an end. L.A. finally announced Friday that Darvin Ham will replace Frank Vogel on the bench for the 2022-2023 NBA season.

Early speculation was that the Lakers would try to hire someone with a successful head coaching resume to lead their high-priced, superstar-heavy roster. Instead of Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers or Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder, Los Angeles ended up with Ham, who has spent close to 15 years as an assistant coach.

“When someone begins his NBA coaching career at the G League level and goes all the way through playing an integral role on the front bench of an NBA Championship team, it really speaks to a certain strength of character. Our players and fans will immediately identify with Darvin’s no-nonsense and hard-working approach, which we feel will bring toughness and a competitive edge to all we do,” Vice President, Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka said.

Ham, 48, had been an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks since 2018 and was part of last year’s championship run. Ham followed Mike Budenholzer to Milwaukeee after being part of the head coach’s staff with the Atlanta Hawks from 2013-2018.

This is Ham’s second stint on the Lakers’ bench. He was a Los Angeles assistant from 2011-2013.

Ham was a journeyman NBA player from 1996-2005. Playing for six different teams, Ham averaged 2.7 points in 417 career games.

The Lakers have signed Ham to a four-year contract, ESPN reports.

Ham replaces Vogel, who only spent three seasons as the Lakers’ head coach. Vogel led the Lakers to a championship in his first season with Los Angeles. Since the 2020 NBA Finals, the Lakers haven’t won another playoff series. Injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis have derailed Los Angeles in the regular season.

Ham takes over the team that was the NBA’s most disappointing this past season. Entering Opening Night as the favorites in the Western Conference, the Lakers went 33-49 and didn’t even make the play-in tournament.

As the Lakers continue to have trouble trying to trade Russell Westbrook, Ham could coach many of the players who were part of Los Angeles’ roster in the 2021-2022 season.