The Pacers are hiring Rick Carlisle as their new head coach, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Carlisle, who recently stepped down after 13 years with the Mavericks, has agreed to a four-year contract worth $29 million with the Pacers, MacMahon added.
Carlise was selected from a field that reportedly also included former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts, former Magic coach Steve Clifford and Brian Shaw, who spent this past season as coach of the G League Ignite.
As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted, Carlisle was an assistant to former Pacers coach Larry Bird from 1997-2000. Carlisle later became head coach of the Pacers (2003-07), compiling a 181-147 record in his four seasons in Indiana.
He is said to be close with Pacers president Kevin Pritchard, perhaps leading to what became a fairly quick decision.
Carlisle, 61, was the Mavs’ coach during the championship run of 2011 and compiled a 555-478 record with the Mavs overall. Prior to that, he coached the Pistons for two seasons, finishing 100-64 overall in Detroit.
The Pacers are coming off a 34-38 finish, missing the playoffs under former coach Nate Bjorkgren, fired after just one season on the job. Reports said they wanted to hire an established coach, and Carlisle undoubtedly fits such a profile.
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