Pacers' Rick Carlisle agrees to contract extension as he begins 22nd season as NBA head coach

Indiana appears to be headed in the right direction under Carlisle

The Indiana Pacers went 25-57 in the 2021-22 season, and there were rumors that coach Rick Carlisle, who hadn't anticipated a rebuild, would move from the sidelines to the front office. On Thursday, the Pacers announced that Carlisle has signed a contract extension to remain the coach, a sign that the rebuild is going in the right direction. 

Indiana went 35-47 last season, but was 23-18 and sixth in the Eastern Conference before star guard Tyrese Haliburton hurt his knee against the New York Knicks in January. With Haliburton on the court, it scored 116.9 points per 100 possessions, which is almost identical to the NBA champion Denver Nuggets' regular-season offensive efficiency.

With Haliburton leading the way, Carlisle's Pacers get out in transition the way his Dallas Mavericks rarely did. Last season, their offensive pace was tied for second in the league, per Inpredictable.

Indiana signed guard Bruce Brown and traded for forward Obi Toppin in the offseason. Between these additions, some internal improvement and, ideally, immediate contributions from rookies No. 8 pick Jarace Walker and No. 26 pick Ben Sheppard, there are reasons to believe it could make a playoff push. 

Carlisle's 22nd season as a head coach began on Wednesday with a 143-120 victory against the Washington Wizards. Haliburton had 20 points and 11 assists; Brown shot 6 for 8 from 3-point range. It was the 897th win of Carlisle's career. Only 13 coaches have reached the 900-win mark.

"It goes without saying that Coach Carlisle is one of the most creative and successful coaches in the history of the league, so there was never a question that he continues to be the right person to lead our team," Pacers president Kevin Pritchard said in a press release. "His ties to this organization and community run deep, his guidance and leadership are invaluable to our players and staff and we're looking forward to working together for years to come as we build something special for our fans."

This is Carlisle's third stint in Indiana. He was an assistant coach on Larry Bird's staff from 1997 to 2000 before leaving to become the head coach of the Detroit Pistons, and he returned as the head coach from 2003 to 2007, preceding his 13 years in Dallas.