He’s the oldest NBA coach but still wants to dominate: Rick Carlisle’s bold gamble

Rick Carlisle signs a multi-year contract extension with the Indiana Pacers. The 65-year-old coach, who led the franchise to its first NBA Finals in 25 years, becomes the league's oldest coach.

By@Sylvain Sultat

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He’s the oldest NBA coach but still wants to dominate: Rick Carlisle’s bold gamble

Photo Credit : © Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers have officially extended their head coach Rick Carlisle’s contract for multiple seasons, according to sources confirmed to ESPN. This extension comes after an exceptional season where the 65-year-old coach led the franchise to its first NBA Finals appearance in a quarter century.

We have signed head coach Rick Carlisle to a multi-year extension 📝

More info: https://t.co/jlfIHcmJj6 pic.twitter.com/fwtvv6HBRw

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) August 19, 2025

A remarkable journey to the 2025 NBA Finals

Carlisle, who had previously coached the Pacers from 2003 to 2007 and was Larry Bird’s assistant during Indiana’s last finals appearance in 2000, returned to the franchise in 2021 after a successful 13-year stint with the Dallas Mavericks, highlighted by the 2011 NBA championship. Since his return, he has transformed a 25-win team in 2022 into one capable of playing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

The 2024-2025 season marked a historic turning point for the Pacers. With a 50-32 record, Indiana secured its first 50-win season since 2013-2014 and climbed to fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The team then eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks to reach the NBA Finals.

A major challenge for the 2025-2026 season

With this extension, Carlisle becomes the oldest active coach in the NBA, following the departures of Gregg Popovich (retirement) and Tom Thibodeau (fired by the Knicks). With a regular season record of 993-860, he will join the exclusive circle of 11 coaches who have reached 1000 wins at the start of next season.

The challenge ahead for Carlisle is massive. Without Tyrese Haliburton, injured for the entire 2025-2026 season, and with Myles Turner’s departure, the coach will need to draw on all his experience to keep Indiana among the East’s competitive teams. With 86 playoff victories, the tenth-highest total in history, Carlisle has the expertise needed to tackle this new challenge and confirm his status among the league’s best tacticians.

Sylvain Sultat

Sylvain Sultat suit la NBA au quotidien, entre performances individuelles, dynamiques collectives et grandes histoires de la ligue. Sur BeBasket, il décrypte l’actualité américaine avec passion et régularité, toujours à l’affût des tendances qui font bouger le monde du basket.