Rick Carlisle Opens Up About His Coaching Future on Draymond Green Show

Last season Rick Carlisle became the 11th coach in NBA history to cross the 1,000 career wins threshold. Coach Carlisle is regarded by his fellow peers as one of the most brilliant minds in the game and once again enters the season as the elder statesman of all thirty active NBA coaches.

This will be Coach Carlisle's 38th season coaching in the NBA. He was an assistant coach from 1989-2001 for the New Jersey Nets, Portland Trail Blazers and Indiana Pacers. And has spent time as a head coach from 2001 to present day.

During an in-depth interview with four-time NBA Champion and Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond Green, Coach Carlisle talked about his coaching history and how the league has evolved over time.

Carlisle's career took off in the offseason of 2001 when Joe Dumars and the Detroit Pistons gave him his first head coaching gig. After taking a below .500 team to the second round of the playoffs, the Pistons elected to part ways with Carlisle and replaced him with a former Indiana Pacers head coach, Larry Brown. Shortly after his departure in Detroit, Carlisle signed a contract to become the head coach of the Indiana Pacers.

In his first season with the blue and gold, Carlisle helped guide the team to a franchise-best record of 61-21. Everything seemed to be in place for the Pacers to have their coach for the long-haul, but the repercussions of the worst scene in NBA history --the Malice at the Palace-- caused the team to implode and a rebuild came shortly after.

Once the Pacers moved on from Carlisle in 2007, he landed the open head coaching job in Dallas and made it his home for the next thirteen seasons. During his time there he helped lead the Mavericks to their only NBA Championship in franchise history -- taking down LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in their first season together in Miami.

His ending in Dallas was bittersweet but it allowed for him to reunite with Indiana for the third time in his career. The Pacers had just fired coach Nate Bjorkgren after a tumultuous lone season with the franchise and needed a seasoned coach to help right the ship.

Carlisle came back into the franchise and his impact was felt immediately. His vision for the future of the team was in alignment with the front office and they embraced a two-year rebuild and acquired future superstar Tyrese Haliburton.

After falling one game short of winning the NBA Finals in 2025, Coach Carlisle signed a multiyear extension with the organization. Despite an exercable season following their NBA Finals run, the Pacers and Carlisle are chomping at the bit to get back deep into the postseason.

Jun 16, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) comes off the floor past head coach Rick Carlisle in the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game five of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During this interview with Draymond Green, Coach Carlisle was asked by the four-time All-Star how much longer he plans on being a head coach in this league.

Carlisle gave a sarcastic answer to Green first, "As long as I can keep dodging out of the way of you on the sidelines probably." Draymond chuckled and then coach dove into the question with a more thoughtful answer stating:

"Nobody wants to overstay their welcome. I've got several more years on my contract. I still love it. I've got an amazing coaching staff with Lloyd Pierce, Jenny Boucek, Jim Boylen, Isaac Yacob, Jannero Pargo, and a bunch of other great coaches."

Carlisle continued to praise the organization and how much he enjoys coming to work, "It's a pleasure to go in everyday. Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, Ted Wu, the guys in that front office are great, and our players are great guys. I want to ride this as long as I can. You go day to day with this and you don't count. You don't count wins, you don't count years, it all accumulates over time."

With Rick Carlisle calling the shots from the sidelines, the Pacers are in great hands. His experience has helped lead and guide this up-and-coming team into a title contender. The front office has assembled a strong roster and Coach Carlisle has taken their talent and maximized it by putting them in the best place to succeed.

Based on his comments to Green, Carlisle sounds as motivated as ever to continue coaching for the foreseeable future. For the Pacers, having that kind of long-term stability on the sidelines provides a strong foundation as the franchise looks to compete for championships year after year.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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