Rick Carlisle
A cerebral tactician who translated a role-player's understanding into a coaching philosophy that delivers championship results.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American basketball coach·Birthday: October 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rick Carlisle carved his path in the NBA with a quiet intensity, first as a sharp-shooting guard who understood his limited role on talented Boston Celtics teams of the mid-80s, including their 1986 championship squad. That experience—observing from the end of the bench under masters like K.C. Jones—forged a coaching mind obsessed with detail, structure, and offensive ingenuity. His head coaching career took off in Detroit and then flourished in Dallas, where in 2011 he engineered one of the great playoff upsets, devising defensive schemes that frustrated the Miami Heat's superteam and delivered the Mavericks their first title. After a long tenure in Dallas, he returned to Indiana, bringing a veteran's poise and adaptive systems to a young Pacers team, proving his methods transcend eras and rosters.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Rick was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Rick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2011 NBA Championship over the heavily favored Miami Heat.
- Named NBA Coach of the Year in 2002 with the Detroit Pistons.
- One of only 14 individuals to win an NBA championship as both a player (1986 Celtics) and a head coach.
- Has coached teams to the NBA playoffs in over half of his seasons as a head coach.
Did You Know?
He was a teammate of Larry Bird on the 1986 champion Boston Celtics.
He is an accomplished jazz pianist and has played at charity events.
He was a three-time team captain during his playing career at the University of Maine.
He began his coaching career as an assistant under Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly with the New Jersey Nets.
“The main thing is the main thing.”
