INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers will bring a familiar face to serve as their next head coach.
The Pacers plan to hire Rick Carlisle and sign him to a four-year contract. Carlisle most recently coached the Dallas Mavericks for 13 seasons and won an NBA title in 2011.
Carlisle previously spent four seasons as the Pacers' coach from 2003-07 and took the team to the NBA playoffs three times, including the Eastern Conference Finals in his first season.
His tenure was marked by the infamous "Malice in the Palace" brawl in 2004 involving Pacers players, the Detroit Pistons and fans in the stands.
Carlisle would replace Nate Bjorkgren, who the Pacers fired after just one season as head coach.
