What Rick Carlisle Accomplished as the Head Coach of the Dallas Mavericks
The Indiana Pacers are hiring Rick Carlisle to be the team's next head coach. He returns to the Pacers after serving as the Dallas Mavericks' coach for the past 13 seasons.
Under Carlisle, the Mavericks compiled a 555-478 record, made the playoffs nine times and won the franchise's first championship. He stepped down from his coaching position on June 17.
In 2008, Carlisle signed a four-year deal with the Mavericks to replace Avery Johnson. Dallas had instant success, earning a 50-32 record in its first season under Carlisle and earning a trip to the NBA Playoffs. The Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the first round before losing to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals.
The following season, the Mavericks earned a 55-27 record, which ranked first in the Western Conference. But the team suffered a first-round exit at the hands of the Spurs.
The 2010-11 season was the organization's most successful year to date. Carlisle coached the Mavericks to a 57-25 record and made a run to an NBA Finals appearance.
To get there, Dallas swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals and defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. It was Carlisle's first Conference Finals victory as a head coach.
In the 2011 Finals, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in a 4-2 series victory to earn the franchise's first championship.
The Mavericks were met with more playoff defeat in 2012, losing to the Thunder in a sweep during the first round. Carlisle signed a five-year contract extension following the season.
But in 2013, Dallas mustered a 41-41 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2000. But Carlisle rallied the team the next season and snuck into the postseason as the eighth seed.
The Mavericks went on to lose a seven-game series to the Spurs in the first round. San Antonio eventually won the NBA Finals in 2014.
Throughout the next seven seasons, Carlisle's Mavericks missed the playoffs three times and were knocked out of the postseason in the first round four times.
Despite being the franchise's all-time winningest coach, he stepped away from his position and will lead the Indiana Pacers next season.
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