The Indiana Pacers have gotten better each year under coach Rick Carlisle. His first season in his second stint with the Pacers, the 2021-22 season, was a rough one with the team winning just 25 games, but the following season that improved to 35, then 47 and a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, then 50 wins and a trip to the NBA Finals this past season.
That led the Pacers to extend Carlisle’s contract, a story first reported by Marc Stein and since confirmed by the Pacers.
“Since his return to the Pacers in 2021, Coach Carlisle has been integral to our success, which includes leading us to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances and our first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years,” Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “Beyond his coaching achievements that rank him among the best in NBA history, Coach Carlisle continues to embrace our community and give back to the state of Indiana with his Drive and Dish program. We are thrilled to have him continue leading our team and representing our organization well into the future.”
The details of the contract are not known, but he signed a previous extension in 2023, and with this new multi-year extension, it’s safe to say Carlisle will be coaching the Pacers for years to come.
Carlisle has coached the Pacers in two stints, the first from 2003-2007 and the current one, which started in 2021. In those eight seasons he has a 338-318 (51.5%) record and made the playoffs five of the eight seasons, including last season’s Finals run.
With Tyrese Haliburton out for next season following a torn Achilles, plus Myles Turner bolting for Milwaukee, expectations are not high for Indiana heading into next season. Carlise, however, has a knack for getting the most out of teams that other people don’t expect much from.
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