Tag: rick carlisle

Assistant coaches for Pacers to be named soon

Rick Carlisle, for the second time in his career, recently became the head coach of the Indiana Pacers. And his assistant coaches reportedly may soon be named. Via the Indianapolis Star:

Coach Rick Carlisle should have his staff rounded out within the next week, and there’s a strong chance that Calbert Cheaney will remain with the Indiana Pacers, a league source familiar with the situation told IndyStar.

Last week, IndyStar reported that Charlotte Hornets assistant Ronald Nored is “close” to joining the staff, too.

Rick Carlisle, for the second time, will become head coach of Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have reached an agreement with Rick Carlisle to become head coach.

“Rick is a proven winner with a championship and will be a Hall of Fame coach,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “He has demonstrated throughout his career an ability to build something with sustainable success. He has great respect for our franchise and our fans from his previous times here. We are very happy to welcome him back to Indiana.”

Carlisle will begin his second head coaching stint with Indiana after he guided the Pacers to a 181-147 (.552) record during four seasons from 2003-07. In his first season as Pacers head coach in 2003-04, Carlisle led Indiana to a franchise-record 61 wins, posted the best record in the Eastern Conference and reached the Eastern Conference Finals. His 181 wins stands as the fourth-most by a head coach in NBA franchise history. Carlisle was also an assistant coach for the Pacers under Larry Bird from 1997-2000.

“My sincere thanks to Herb Simon, Kevin Pritchard and the entire Pacers organization for the opportunity to come back to basketball’s heartland,” said Carlisle. “My wife, Donna, daughter, Abby, and I are truly grateful.”

Carlisle has completed 19 NBA seasons as head coach of the Detroit Pistons (2001-03), Pacers and Dallas Mavericks (2008-21). He has compiled an 836-689 (.548) record and will enter the 2021-22 season ranked 15th in NBA history in coaching victories. Carlisle was named NBA Coach of the Year after his first season in Detroit in 2001-02 and led the Mavericks to their first NBA championship in 2010-11.

Rick Carlisle steps down as head coach of Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Rick Carlisle has stepped down as head coach.

“Rick informed me today about his decision to step down as head coach,” said Mark Cuban. “On top of being a tremendous basketball coach, he was also a friend and a confidant. Rick helped us bring the O’Brien Trophy to Dallas and those are memories I will always cherish. I want to thank Rick for all he gave this franchise and this city. We wish him all the best.”

Carlisle, the winningest coach in franchise history, was hired on May 9, 2008 and recently completed his 13th season with Dallas. He posted a record of 555-478 (.537) with the club and led the Mavericks to the postseason nine times in his 13 seasons at the helm, including the franchise’s first World Championship in 2011.

Carlisle, who won a title as a player with Boston in 1986, is one of only 14 individuals to win an NBA championship as both a player and a head coach. He moved into 15th place on the NBA’s all-time wins list in 2020-21, passing Cotton Fitzsimmons (832) with career win No. 833 vs. Cleveland on May 7, 2021.

Rick Carlisle amused by quick cameo in Michael Jordan documentary

Here’s ESPN.com with a fun item about Mavs coach Rick Carlisle:

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle responded to his brief, not-so-glamorous appearance in the opening episode of ESPN’s “The Last Dance” with a wry bit of self-deprecating humor.

“There must have been an exhaustive search to find footage of me actually PLAYING in an NBA playoff game,” Carlisle wrote in a text reply to an inquiry about his thoughts on the clip that showed him as a Boston Celtics reserve guard being torched by Michael Jordan for a dunk after a baseline spin.

The first two episodes of The Last Dance were mostly introductory, setting the stage for the real meat of the series. There are eight more episodes, airing over the next four Sunday nights.

Rick Carlisle discusses how hard it is to repeat as NBA champs

Here’s the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

Rick Carlisle

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said that a litany of things could go wrong that can prevent a team from repeating. That list includes injuries, trades, players becoming selfish and management not willing to sign critical free agents.

“It’s just that when you’re the defending champs people are gunning for you,” Carlisle said. “And then you have to fight the letdown of being the champions.

“It’s a lot of the human nature stuff that are inherent in sports, but that’s what makes the world go round.”

In addition to missing out on a successful repeat as a coach with the Mavs, Carlisle also missed a chance with the Boston Celtics. In 1986 Carlisle was with the Celtics when they beat the Rockets in six games to win the championship, but then lost in the ’87 Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.