Rick Carlisle has been the Pacers’ coach for one season (this time around), and it is a position in which he intends to stay.
Carlisle released a statement saying as much, strongly denying suggestions that he is looking to move into the team’s front office.
“I came here to coach,” Carlisle said, via Pacers VP of basketball communications Michael Preston. “I want to put this to rest once and for all. … Let me be absolutely clear. I’m here to coach this team and coach this team for the long-haul. I’m not afraid of any aspect of a rebuild one bit. Not one single bit.”
Carlisle, 62, has had to deal with the normal rocky road of a team that has shifted to sort of a rebuilding phase after trading away Domantas Sabonis (to the Kings) and Caris LeVert (to the Cavaliers). The Pacers have also been hit hard with injuries.
This season marks his return to Indiana after a successful 13-year stretch with the Mavericks. He also coached the Pacers from 2003-07, and the Pistons before that.
Per Marc Stein of The Stein Line, speculation that Carlisle “had designs on a move to the front office” had been making rounds in the NBA for several months. But based on the latest developments, Carlisle will be back on the sideline with the Pacers again next season.
More Carlisle: “Let me be absolutely clear. I’m here to coach this team and coach this team for the long-haul. I’m not afraid of any aspect of a rebuild one bit. Not one single bit.”
— Michael Preston (@preston76) April 7, 2022
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