It didn’t take long for Rick Carlisle to find a new team in the NBA. The veteran head coach stepped down as the Dallas Mavericks helmsman last week amid rumors of a tense relationship with young star Luka Doncic.
He’s now returning to Indianapolis to coach the Pacers in a reunion that had 14 years in the making. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon broke the news, announcing that Carlisle is set to join the Pacers on a 4-year, $29 million deal.
Sources: The Pacers are hiring Rick Carlisle as head coach. He will sign a 4-year, $29 million contract.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 24, 2021
Rick coached the team from 2004 and 2007, posting good results during the first two seasons. Those Pacers were a threat to the rest of the East, and the 61-year-old will try to have the same success in his second stint.
This season, Indiana fell short against the Washington Wizards in the play-in tournament, missing their chance to make the 2021 NBA playoffs. They have an interesting young core, and Carlisle can give them an identity to compete in the East.
As for the coach, he just finished his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks. Reportedly, tensions between him and Luka Doncic made him stepped down as the team’s head coach. Now the challenge is different, and Rick will try to make the Pacers a relevant team again.
