Rick Carlisle, Pacers agree to multiyear contract extension after NBA Finals run: Source

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has agreed to a multiyear extension with the franchise, a league source confirmed Tuesday. Details of the extension were not immediately available.

Carlisle, 65, was rewarded with the extension after leading the Pacers to the NBA Finals this past June, their first since 2000, in his second go-around with the team as a head coach (he won the Eastern Conference Championship in 1999-2000 as an assistant with Indiana). Carlisle landed his first head-coaching gig with the Detroit Pistons in 1999, but was fired after two seasons and returned to Indiana, where he replaced his former teammate, Larry Bird, for four seasons.

Carlisle departed for Dallas ahead of the 2008-09 season, and in 2011, he led the Mavericks to their first NBA Championship. He ranks 11th in the NBA in all-time coaching wins with 993, second to Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers among active coaches.

After Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury and center Myles Turner signed with the rival Bucks, Carlisle’s extension might be one of the most important ones the team will sign this offseason. Retaining Carlisle gives a team awaiting the return of their injured star continuity in leadership and solidifies their desire to return to the postseason.

It also continues the relationship between the team’s star and coach, a connection that was on display during Indiana’s postseason run. After bounce-back wins, Haliburton spoke highly of watching hours of film with Carlisle to correct mistakes.

Indiana was 16-18 on Dec. 31 and finished the regular season 50-32, going 34-14 in the final 48 games to gain the No. 4 seed. That was the fourth-best record since Jan. 1 behind the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder (41-9).

Carlisle and the Pacers defeated the Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks en route to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Thunder in seven games.

NBA reporter Marc Stein first reported the news.

(Photo: Jason Miller / Getty Images)