Source: Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle agrees to contract extension

Carlisle just started the third season of his second stint with the franchise

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with the franchise, a league source confirmed to AllPacers. No specifics about the length or value of the extension were shared. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report the news.

Carlisle originally joined Indiana on a four-year agreement worth $29 million plus incentives in 2021, per ESPN. There was no reporting at the time if there were any options in that contract. Carlisle is beginning the third year of that agreement, and now his contract is longer.

The veteran head coach was brought in to pull the Pacers back up after a substandard 2020-21 season in which they finished below .500 for the second time since 2011. But in Carlisle's first season, injuries, COVID-19 related absences, and trades led to a major step back for the team. They won 25 games in Carlisle's first season back on the sidelines, then 35 in 2022-23. They are hoping to continue that growth this year. 

Carlisle loves individual moments working with younger players. He has been important in the development of several young players — such as Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Jalen Smith — during the last few seasons. That doesn't even account for current rookies or young players on the Pacers roster.

"It's been awesome. Just knowing that your coach has that confidence and wants you to get better," 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker said of working with Rick Carlisle. "He's taught me a lot of good things."

During his current stint with the franchise, Carlisle has a 61-104 coaching record. He is 897-793 during his entire career. Carlisle had a prior stint with Indiana from 2003 to 2007 in which he went 181-147.

He won Coach Of The Year in 2002 and became an NBA Champion in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks. Carlisle is approaching 900 wins as a head coach and currently ranks 14th all time in victories by a head coach. He is 47 wins away from being in 11th place.

That winning resume, combined with Carlisle's current affinity for skill development with young talent, makes him a good fit for a building, improving Pacers team. He has coached many star point guards in the past, including Jason Kidd and Luka Doncic, so his track record suggests he will be good for Haliburton long term.

Carlisle has been able to adapt in his relationship with Haliburton. Last season, the coach shared that he was calling far fewer plays than he has in the past, a sign that he trusts his star point guard to run the show. Haliburton's skill, along with Carlisle's eye for the game, have created quite a partnership, and the Pacers have a clear identity. They lacked one for the two years prior to Carlisle re-joining the blue and gold.

Carisle, a former player, turns 64 years old tomorrow. He can celebrate with his new contract, and then get back to pushing the Indiana Pacers forward.

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