Zach Chu leaving Pacers for opportunity with SMU men's basketball back home

Zach Chu had a versatile, do-everything role with the Pacers and as coach Rick Carlisle's right-hand man.

Zach Chu and assistant coach Mike Weinar (right) after a Pacers practice.

The Indiana Pacers are losing a key staff member.

Zach Chu is departing the Indiana Pacers staff as manager of game strategy and analytics for a new opportunity with SMU men’s basketball. He has been hired on Andy Enfield’s staff as the chief strategist.

Enfield enters his first season as Mustangs head coach after spending the past 11 years at USC.

“We want to be forward thinking as we navigate the rapidly changing landscape of college basketball,” Enfield said in the program’s announcement. “We believe leveraging analytics to inform our decision making across our program, from portal management to player development to game strategy and this hire positions us for sustainable success as we enter the ACC.”

Chu is a native of Dallas, Texas so this is a chance for him to go home.

He has been the right-hand man for head coach Rick Carlisle the past five seasons, beginning with the 2019-20 season in Dallas. That’s how much he was valued. He then followed Carlisle to Indiana two years later, along with assistant coaches Mike Weinar and Jenny Boucek.

During games, Chu sat behind the bench and was the point person to quickly review the video and inform Weinar whether Carlisle should use a coach’s challenge.

“The level of excitement at SMU is incredible,” Chu said. “The opportunity to develop a platform for Coach Enfield and our staff which aligns strategy and data to meet the challenges of a modern college program is extremely exciting.”

Zach Chu (standing) was an assistant coach for the Summer Pacers.

To get reps coaching, he’s also served as an assistant coach for the Pacers summer league team the past two summers in Las Vegas.

Chu, whose father is basketball coach, was a walk-on at the University of Richmond. He’s also a good tennis player and golfer.

Last offseason, Boucek was promoted to a front-of-the-bench assistant and Jim Boylen was promoted from consultant to full-time assistant coach.