Could Rick Carlisle return to the Indiana Pacers as head coach?

Amid the turmoil in Dallas recently, former Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is back on the market. As the Pacers look to fill their head coaching vacancy, a familiar face has become available after Carlisle stepped down from the same role with the Mavericks.

There are already a number of strong coaching candidates available for the Pacers before the NBA offseason even truly begins but none may be more enticing than Carlisle.

Should the Indiana Pacers pursue Rick Carlisle as their next head coach?

Carlisle spent four seasons with the Pacers as the head coach from 2003-2007 and had some success with the franchise early on. He joined Indiana after leading the Pistons to the playoffs in his first two seasons as a head coach and did the same for the Pacers. He made the playoffs in three of his four seasons as head coach and accumulated a 181-147 record in that span.

In his first season with Indiana, the Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals and lost in six games to the same Pistons. In 13 seasons with the Mavericks, Carlisle reached the playoffs nine times and won the NBA Championship in 2010-11.

The past few seasons have not been as kind to Carlisle in the postseason but his consistency in reaching that stage has been admirable. Dallas has stayed relevant for a few years because of Carlisle and of course Luka Doncic. With his time in Dallas coming to an end, the Pacers should strongly consider a reunion.

With a career winning percentage of .548, Carlise has done more than prove himself as one of the top coaches in the NBA. He already has 133 playoff games under his belt with 63 wins to his credit.

His departure was a bit out of nowhere but recent events in Dallas point to this being less unexpected. Now, he has the opportunity to return to the Pacers and finish the task he once left behind.

Trying a first-time head coach with Nate Bjorkgren brought some fun and optimism in the early stages for the Pacers but things simply did not turn out well. It’s okay to admit it’s best to go get a proven leader with a pedigree if the team wants to win right now. Rick Carlisle is the best name on the market for Indiana right now.