Rick Carlisle

Head Coach, Indiana Pacers

Rick Carlisle, an NBA champion as both a player and a coach, drew on over 20 years of head coaching experience to lead the Pacers to the 2025 NBA Finals and one of the most memorable postseason runs in franchise history.

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Rick Carlisle is the Head Coach of the Indiana Pacers. On June 24, 2021, Carlisle returned to the Indiana Pacers for his second stint as Head Coach and as the 17th Head Coach in Pacers history.

Prior to his second stint with the Pacers, Coach Carlisle was the Head Coach of the Dallas Mavericks (2008-2021), Indiana Pacers (2003-2007), and Detroit Pistons (2001-2003). In Dallas, Coach Carlisle held a regular season record of 555-478, leading the organization to the NBA Playoffs nine times and winning its first ever NBA Championship in 2011. In his first stint with the Pacers, Coach Carlisle compiled a regular season record of 181-147 and led the Pacers to three consecutive NBA Playoffs. Coach Carlisle began his head coaching career with the Detroit Pistons. During his two seasons with the Pistons, Coach Carlisle owned a regular season record of 100-64 and won two Central Division Championships. For these efforts, Coach Carlisle won the 2002 NBA Coach of the Year Award. Before Coach Carlisle became a Head Coach, he was an Assistant Coach for the Pacers (1997-2000), Trail Blazers (1994-1997), and Nets (1989-1994).

In 2025, he led the Pacers to the NBA Finals, their deepest playoff run in decades.

Rick Carlisle was born on October 27, 1959, in Ogdensburg, New York. He attended both Lisbon Central High School and Worcester Academy, later going on to play at the University of Maine for two years (1979-1981). Coach Carlisle then transferred to the University of Virginia, becoming a co-captain of the 1984 Cavaliers team that reached the Final Four. Carlisle was picked 70th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1984 Draft and won an NBA Championship with the Celtics in 1986, making Carlisle the 12th person to ever win an NBA Championship as both a player and Coach. Carlisle also played for the Knicks and Nets. Coach Carlisle and his wife, Donna, have one child, Abby, and he is an avid pianist and private pilot.

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Rick Carlisle

Head Coach, Indiana Pacers

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