Playing career
Carlisle was born October 27, 1959 raised in Lisbon, New York. He graduated from Worcester Academy and played two years of college basketball at the University of Maine from 1979 to 1981 before transferring to the University of Virginia in 1982, where he co-captained the Cavaliers of the coach Terry Holland to the Final Four in 1984. In his college years he averaged 12.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.NBA
After graduating that same year, he was drafted by the Boston Celtics (23rd pick in the third round), where he played alongside Larry Bird. With the Celtics under coach K.C. Jones he won the NBA championship in 1986 against the Houston Rockets and lost in the NBA Finals in 1985 and 1987 to the Los Angeles Lakers. From 1984 to 1987 he averaged 2.2 points, 1.0 assists and 0.8 rebounds per game in a limited reserve role. Carlisle then played for Bill Musselman's Albany Patroons, and was then signed as a free agent by the New York Knicks under coach Rick Pitino, where he played alongside future star Patrick Ewing. In 1989, Carlisle played in 5 games with the New Jersey Nets under Bill Fitch.Coaching career
Later in 1989, he accepted an assistant coaching position with the Nets, where he spent five seasons under Bill Fitch and Chuck Daly. In 1994, Carlisle joined the assistant coaching staff with the Portland Trail Blazers under coach P. J. Carlesimo, where he spent three seasons.In 1997, Rick Carlisle joined the Indiana Pacers organization as an assistant coach under his former teammate, Larry Bird. During his time as Pacers assistant coach, he helped the Pacers to two of their best seasons ever. First, in 1997-98, the Pacers stretched the Chicago Bulls to the limit, narrowly losing the deciding seventh game of the Eastern Conference finals to the eventual NBA champion. Then, in 1999-2000, the Pacers made the NBA Finals for the first time, ultimately losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. Bird stepped down as coach, and pushed for Carlisle to be selected as his replacement, but Pacers team president Donnie Walsh gave the job to Isiah Thomas.
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
After the Pacers finished the 2006-07 season with a 35-47 record (missing the playoffs for the first time since 1997), Carlisle's tenure as head coach ended; it is unclear whether he voluntarily resigned, was fired, or was pushed to resign. In four seasons with the Indiana Pacers, Carlisle compiled a 181-147 record.[5] On June 12, 2007, Carlisle announced that he would also resign from his position as Executive Vice-president of the Pacers. After leaving Indiana, Carlisle worked as a studio analyst for ESPN before signing with the Dallas Mavericks as its new head coach.
Dallas Mavericks
On May 9, 2008 Carlisle signed a four-year deal with Mark Cuban's Dallas Mavericks, replacing Avery Johnson. He led them to a 50-32 record including a first round win against the San Antonio Spurs. They would lose to the Denver Nuggets 4-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals.[4][6] The next year he coached the Mavs to a 55-27 record, first in Southwest Division and second in the West, but lost in the first round to San Antonio. In 2010, Dallas won sixteen of its first twenty games in a competitive Western Conference.On May 8, 2011, he coached the Mavericks to a sweep of the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
On May 25, 2011, he coached the Mavericks to a 4-1 series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, the first conference finals victory of his coaching career.
