A week after resigning from the Dallas Mavericks, Rick Carlisle has agreed to a four-year deal to return to the Indiana Pacers as head coach, he told ESPN.
The deal is worth $29 million plus incentives, sources said.
Carlisle spent 13 seasons in Dallas, becoming the franchise’s winningest coach with a 555-478 record and leading the Mavs to the franchise’s only championship in 2010-11. His resignation came a day after the franchise parted ways with longtime president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson, but Carlisle said the front-office changes in Dallas had nothing to do with his decision.
“You never want to get to a point where you ever feel like you’re overstaying your welcome, and I just felt like this is the right time,” Carlisle said Thursday. “I just have such great respect for [Mavs owner Mark Cuban] and everyone there, and I’m fortunate to move on to another great opportunity.”
Cuban has said that he plans to hire a new head of basketball operations before finding Carlisle’s replacement. Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki has returned to the franchise as a special adviser to assist Cuban in those searches.
