Pacers give coach Rick Carlisle second contract extension since 2021 return
Carlisle, the franchise’s all-time winningest NBA head coach, receives another extension following Indiana’s trip to the NBA Finals.
In what was a busy news day in central Indiana — the Colts naming QB Daniel Jones as their starter for the season and Fever guard Sophie Cunningham suffering a season-ending injury — the biggest news was that Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle signed a contract extension.
The team announced a multi-year extension on Tuesday. Hall of Famer Marc Stein, who also publishes on Substack with
, first reported the news.This comes almost two months after Carlisle helped the organization return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, when he was an assistant on Larry Bird’s staff.
"Herb Simon, the Simon family, Steven Rales, Kevin Pritchard and our players make Indiana such a special place. Let's go!" Carlisle said in a statement.
Carlisle was hired by Pritchard, who has served as team president since May 2017.
“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,” Pritchard said.
“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 terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.
In a time when many franchises make sudden coaching changes, the Pacers continue to model continuity and stability. And since the reunion, Carlisle helped completely transform the franchise.
Carlisle returned to Indianapolis for his second stint as head coach (and third with the organization) in June 2021. That initial deal was four years and worth more than $7.25 million annually.
Then two years later, before the start of the 2023-24 season, he was signed to an extension to see the team through the unexpected rebuild. The thing that Carlisle was most proud of then was ensuring his coaching staff also received new deals — something that may have been addressed again with this latest extension.
Carlisle’s staff includes Lloyd Pierce, Mike Weinar, Jenny Boucek, Jim Boylen, Mo Baker, Jannero Pargo, and Isaac Yacob.
He also serves as president of the NBA Coaches Association, with his final term running through the end of 2025. After 20 years in this role, Carlisle believes it is time for a new voice.
The 2024-25 season was a magical one for the franchise. They beat all odds and kept proving others wrong — all the way to the finals, where they led at halftime of Game 7, but were without All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton for most of the game after he sustained a torn right Achilles tendon.
He had surgery the next day and has already been ruled out for the 2025-26 season.
“This was a great series,” Carlisle said after Game 7 in Oklahoma City. “I'm so proud of our players. So proud of our organization. Our fans showed up big time tonight. It was really moving. What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped. But he will be back.”
Most of the roster remains intact heading into next season, though longtime center Myles Turner, drafted in 2015, moved on to Milwaukee in free agency after 10 years in Indiana.
“I'm just really proud of this group,” Pritchard said after free agency. “I feel like you have a thought in your head of what you want a team to be. And you couple that team, our group of guys, with the best coaches in the NBA. And sky's the limit.”
Carlisle ranks first in NBA franchise history in both regular-season wins (656) and playoff wins (41). This past season, he moved into 11th in league history with 993 career victories.
His 86 career postseason wins as a head coach ranks 10th all-time, trailing Jerry Sloan (98).
A list of coaches to lead the Pacers:
