The Indiana Pacers had the worst-possible season in 2025-26. Not only were they not title contenders as they were the previous year, but they didn’t get a first-round draft pick. Indiana fell down two spots in the lottery and gave their pick to the Clippers.
Next season, the Pacers will be fully healthy. Tyrese Haliburton will be back and ready to go for the entire season. Ivica Zubac is the firm starting center, as well. With all of those factors, head coach Rick Carlisle is expected to be voted as the NBA’s best coach.
GettyIndiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle reacts during a game. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle Predicted to Win Coach of the Year
According to a panel of NBA insiders from ESPN, Carlisle is predicted to win the Coach of the Year award next season. The poll has him winning by one vote over Mitch Johnson from the Spurs. Jamal Collier writes about why the pollsters decided to give Carlisle the nod.
“Carlisle navigated a nightmare season for the Pacers last year without star Tyrese Haliburton, and as a bevy of injuries hit the team from day one, leaving it without much of a chance to compete. If the Pacers rediscover their championship form without much of a hitch this year, Carlisle will be a big reason why.”
When the Pacers made the Finals in 2024-25, Carlisle was a massive factor. He was able to implement an offensive system that optimized what the team did best. Playing at a higher tempo was a big reason why they had so much postseason success.
Without Haliburton, they weren’t able to play at the same pace last season. With him back, the team should be ready to go and be an offensive juggernaut again. They had the third-worst offense in the league last year without Haliburton in the lineup.
GettyIndiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton reacts during a game. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Rick Carlisle Is a Key Piece of What Indiana Likes to Do
Carlisle has been a big reason why the Pacers have been able to build into a contender over the last few years. He has only won Coach of the Year one time in his career. That was back in 2002, when he was the coach for the Pistons. Still, he has been a great coach for a long time.
In order for the Pacers to be considered a factor to win the Eastern Conference this season, Carlisle is going to have to innovate some more. A lot of other teams in the East have improved, so surpassing them in the pecking order of the conference won’t be easy.
The Knicks, Cavaliers, Pistons, 76ers, and Heat all got better in the offseason. Indiana did too, but they have a bigger gap to clear since they were so bad last season. The Pacers likely only have a two-year title window open with the contracts on their books.
Making another deep run will be predicated on whether Haliburton can be the same person he was two seasons ago.
Pacers’ Rick Carlisle Predicted to Bring Home Hardware