Rick Carlisle passes Red Auerbach, moves to 12th in NBA All-Time coaching wins

Carlisle has been coaching for over two decades

Jan 30, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle reacts during the / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — On Monday night, as the Indiana Pacers took down the Brooklyn Nets, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle earned his 939th regular season win as an NBA head coach. That moved him into 12th-place on the All-Time wins list among coaches.

The coach he passed and pushed to 13th is the late Red Auerbach, one of the premier coaches in NBA history. He guided the Boston Celtics to nine championships in the 1950s and 60s, winning 938 regular season games along the way.

After coaching the Celtics for more than a decade, Auerbach became an executive for the franchise. He drafted Carlisle in the third round of the 1984 NBA draft, and Carlisle spent three of his five NBA seasons with Boston.

"I don't have a whole lot to say about it other than I'm really grateful to Red for drafting me in the third round almost 30 years ago," Carlisle said of passing Auerbach on the all-time coaching wins list. They had a relationship for years, even after Carlisle's playing days.

Indiana's head coach noted Monday night that he was thankful Auerbach gave him a shot in the league. Carlisle shared that he may not have gotten into coaching were it not for his situation in the NBA as a player.

"I was very fortunate to be at the right place at the right time in my playing career," Carlisle said. After his playing days, he had a conversation with Auerbach that helped him get into coaching.

"Without Red, none of this probably happens," Carlisle explained.

The next coach in front of Carlisle is Bill Fitch, who has 944 victories. If Indiana doesn't lose another game this season, then Carlisle would move into 11th place during the ongoing campaign — otherwise, it will have to wait until next year.

"It's really cool. Cool to be a part of something special," Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton said of Carlisle passing Auerbach and moving into 12th-place. He called Carlisle a brilliant basketball mind. "The contributions that coach has made to the game will always be remembered."

Carlisle passed Jack Ramsay and Dick Motta in recent seasons on the coaching wins list. He had been a head coach for over two decades and guided the Dallas Mavericks to a championship in 2011.

With the Pacers, Carlisle is 284-284 across two different stints with the franchise. They are 43-33 this season.

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