Pacers Coach Leaves Team in Surprise Move, Deal with Rival Incoming?

This Pacers coach surprisingly left on Friday.

Dec 19, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Pacers assistant coach Mike Weinar against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers have had continuity with their organization over the last three years. Rick Carlisle has built a very stable environment in Indy, and there has been very little roster turnover.

That is true not just of the players on the roster but the coaches on the coaching staff. Carlisle has retained most of his assistants for this entire second act as the Pacers' head coach.

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That changed on Friday when Indiana announced that assistant coach Mike Weinar and the organization had decided to mutually part ways. It's a move that surprised some Pacers fans.

We have mutually agreed to part ways with assistant coach Mike Weinar.

Thank you Coach Weinar 💙

Read more: https://t.co/MBuhiQUZTC pic.twitter.com/cqdHOjUZya

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) August 22, 2025

Former Pacers coach could be on the move to the Knicks

Part of the reason that this move was so surprising is the fact that Weinar has pulled himself out of consideration to be Mike Brown's top assistant with the New York Knicks.

Once that move was made, it looked like Weinar was planning on being with the Pacers for a while. Now, that move looks like it's back on the table. He might be on the move to New York.

Indiana has a lot of other experienced assistant coaches who can help Carlisle coach his team. Next year is when Carlisle's coaching expertise is really going to need to show.

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Without Tyrese Haliburton available next season, the Pacers are going to need to create advantageous situations for the guys they do have if they want to have any hope of making another deep playoff run.

The Pacers will miss Mike Weinar

Weinar is certainly a loss for the Pacers. He was one of Carlisle's top assistants and really helped with the offense of the team. He is one of the coaches who helped imput the pace that the team plays with.

Whichever team ends up landing Weinar will be getting a very good coach. If he does end up in New York, it would be a position that he would have earned, and he would be making that move because it gets him closer to being a head coach.

The Pacers will move into next year with a lot of familiar faces who will try to make the best of the situation at hand.

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