The Dallas Mavericks will join the growing list of NBA teams searching for a new head coach. Rick Carlisle, who coached the team for the previous 13 years, announced on Thursday that he won’t return to the Mavs for the 2021-22 NBA season.
Carlisle’s announcement comes just a few days after Mavs longtime president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson left the franchise.
“After a number of in-person conversations with Mark Cuban over the last week, today I informed him that I will not be returning as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks,” said Carlisle in a statement. “This was solely my decision. My family and I have had an amazing 13-year experience working with great people in a great city.”
Mavs later confirmed the news, thanking Carlisle for his contribution to the franchise in a series of social media posts.
Rick Carlisle joined the Mavericks in 2008 and managed to lead the team to their first NBA title just three years later. He followed that up with six more playoff trips but never managed to get out of the first round again. Carlisle compiled a 555-478 record with Dallas and will leave the team as the winningest head coach in the franchise’s history.
Given the NBA title on his resume, Carlisle is expected to receive significant interest from NBA teams with a head coaching vacancy. The list includes the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, and Portland Blazers.
The Mavericks, on the other hand, are first expected to hire a new president of basketball operations before embarking on a head-coaching search.
