The Indiana Pacers have been around since 1967, initially as an ABA franchise. Furthermore, the NBA was founded in 1949 and is one of the most successful sports leagues in the world.
During the NBA's lifespan, we have seen lots of history be made time and again, whether it is because of broken records, never-before-seen accomplishments, or game-changing players. Still, there are plenty of milestones that have yet to be seen in the NBA. More specifically, we have yet to see a full-time female head coach in the league (Becky Hammon served as the acting head coach of the San Antonio Spurs for one game in 2020), though Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle believes this may come to an end sooner enough.
Rick Carlisle thinks Jenny Boucek could become first female NBA head coach
In a recent interview with HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, Carlisle spoke about the success of his coaching staff. Although he credited the entire staff and cited their versatility as a major reason for their success, Carlisle singled out assistant coach Jenny Boucek, saying he believes she has what it takes to become the first-ever female head coach in league history.
“Jenny Boucek is the only female on the front of an NBA bench who’s also a coordinator and is one of a select few who could become the NBA’s first female head coach someday,” Carlisle told HoopsHype.
Boucek has been a basketball coach for over two decades, initially getting her start as an assistant coach for the WNBA's Washington Mystics. Furthermore, as an assistant coach, she is a two-time WNBA champion, winning with the Seattle Storm in 2004 and 2010. Boucek also spent time as a head coach in the WNBA, coaching the Sacramento Monarchs from 2007-to-2009 and the Storm from 2015-to-2017.
As for her time in the NBA, Boucek has been an assistant coach since joining the Sacramento Kings' staff in 2017. She also spent a few years with the Dallas Mavericks before joining the Pacers alongside Carlisle in 2021.
While with the Pacers, Boucek has helped develop some of the team's most notable players. Isaiah Jackson, T.J. McConnell, and Andrew Nembhard have all benefitted from Boucek's presence and style.
Boucek is not the only female assistant coach currently in the league as there are three others. However, she is the longest-tenured, with the other three coming into the league in 2019 and later. Boucek certainly has an impressive resume and deserves recognition as a potential head coach in the NBA in the future.