NBA: Ranking every active head coach by playing career

Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 10. Rick Carlisle

Rick Carlisle has become the face of the coaches association, so it’s easy to forget that he was in fact an accomplished player in his own right. He would play two seasons at the University of Maine and then transferred to the University of Virginia. As a senior, Carlisle averaged 11.1 points, 2.9 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game and was drafted in the third round of the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics in 1984.

In three seasons with the Celtics, Carlisle made three NBA Finals appearances and won one championship. He only played 7.9 minutes per game, often limited by injuries. He would then play one season in the CBA for the Albany Patroons before returning to the NBA for a combined 31 games from 1987 to 1990 with the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets.

Unable to continue his playing career due to injuries, Carlisle became an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets, staying for five seasons. He then spent the next three seasons as an assistant in Portland before leaving to become an assistant under former teammate Larry Bird with the Indiana Pacers. When Bird stepped down as coach after three seasons together, Carlisle left to become the head coach of the Detroit Pistons. He was unexpectedly terminated a couple seasons later and returned to the Pacers as the head coach. He would be ultimately let go there as well before finally landing with the Dallas Mavericks.