The end of an era in Dallas? Long-time Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle has resigned from his position. Carlisle still had two more years left in his contract. New was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN and then confirmed by the team.
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Rick Carlisle has stepped down as head coach. pic.twitter.com/vaRYbRuyDs
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) June 17, 2021
This is not the only news that has come from the Mavs, recently, they announced that they parted ways with General Manager Donnie Nelson after 24 seasons. Carlisle was one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the league with 13 seasons.
During that time, the team has made the playoffs in nine seasons, including the 2011 NBA Championship where they defeated the “Big Three” in Miami. Nevertheless, Carlisle felt he needed a change in his career. Following comes from the statement he provided to ESPN.
“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. This was solely my decision. My family and I have had an amazing 13-year experience working with great people in a great city. It has been an honor to work alongside Mark, Cynt, Donnie, Fin, Keith, Dirk, JKidd, and every player, and assistant coach I’ve had here. Dallas will always be home, but I’m excited about the next chapter of my coaching career.”
With the recent firings of head coaches, there are now seven openings in the league: Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards, and Mavs.
