Pacers ink head coach Rick Carlisle to contract extension
The Indiana Pacers are coming off one of the most successful and unexpected seasons in the franchise’s history, with the team reaching the NBA Finals and taking the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games.
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In the aftermath of such a successful season, the Pacers have decided to reward veteran head coach Rick Carlisle with a contract extension, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has signed a multiyear contract extension with the franchise, the team announced Tuesday, after leading the franchise to its first NBA Finals appearance in a quarter century this past spring.
The team president, Kevin Pritchard, released the following statement about signing Carlisle to a contract extension.
“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,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “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.”
Unfortunately for the Pacers, the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season might be rough, with superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon that he suffered during the NBA Finals.
However, the future looks bright for Indiana once its face of the franchise returns, with the Eastern Conference being as weak as it has been in recent memory.
