Veteran NBA coach Rick Carlisle is back in the NBA Finals after leading the Pacers to an Eastern Conference title for only the second time in franchise history.
Carlisle is now in his 23rd season as a head coach, serving as one of the most experienced active NBA coaches. As a result, the public has seen Carlisle age from up-and-coming coach to a grizzled veteran on the sidelines.
Most fans recognize Carlisle as the Jim Carrey lookalike, as Carlisle has resembled the famous actor throughout his life. While Carlisle is now known for his shaved head, there was a time two decades ago when his look included a full head of hair.
Here's how Carlisle looked through his years as a head coach.
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Rick Carlisle then and now
Carlisle has now been a head coach for most of the past 24 years, coaching three different teams over four different stints.
The veteran coach got his first head coaching opportunity with the Pistons from 2001-03, right before Detroit won it all in 2004. At the time, Carlisle was a rising star in the industry, but maybe more importantly, he still had his full head of hair to complement his coaching.
Rick Carlisle received the @NBA Coach of the Year Award in 2001-2002 after leading the @DetroitPistons to a 50-32 record & a first-place finish in the Central Division. Carlisle received the award from his mentor, Chuck Daly, prior to Game 2 of the 2002 Eastern Conference Semis pic.twitter.com/yinwbpfXTJ
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) December 3, 2017
Following a surprising firing from the Pistons, Carlisle was hired by the Pacers for the first time in 2003, staying in Indiana through the 2006-07 season. Carlisle looked pretty similar to when he was in Detroit, as he spent four seasons with the Pacers.
25 years later rick carlisle is back in the finals with the pacers 🙌 pic.twitter.com/MIAolzZnBp
— buckets (@buckets) June 2, 2025
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The majority of Carlisle's success came with the Mavericks, as he spent 13 years in Dallas which included winning the NBA Finals in 2011. While Carlisle's hairstyle was the same when he was first hired in 2008, it changed over the next decade, including when he had a much shorter style when he won it all.
An underrated factor of the Mavs legendary 2011 run is the outstanding coaching of Rick Carlisle.
— MavsMuse (@MavsMuse) June 1, 2025
He outcoached legends like Phil Jackson and Erik Spoelstra to lead his underdog team to upset everyone on their way to the title.
Rick is an all time great & he’s doing it again. pic.twitter.com/q5GnSRochI
Carlisle stepped down as the Mavericks head coach after the 2020-21 season, but he quickly joined the Pacers as their new head coach that same offseason. While Carlisle had a fully-shaved head at the end of his Dallas tenure, he brought that style with him to Indiana.
Congratulations to former Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle on advancing to the NBA Finals 👏 pic.twitter.com/xaDJodRcwY
— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) June 1, 2025
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Rick Carlisle coaching career
Carlisle has been a head coach in all but one of the last 24 NBA seasons. Here is how he has fared as a coach in his career.
| Year | Team | Record | Playoff Result |
| 2001-02 | Pistons | 50-32 | L, Second Round |
| 2002-03 | Pistons | 50-32 | L, Eastern Conference Finals |
| 2003-04 | Pacers | 61-21 | L, Eastern Conference Finals |
| 2004-05 | Pacers | 44-38 | L, Second Round |
| 2005-06 | Pacers | 41-41 | L, First Round |
| 2006-07 | Pacers | 35-47 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2008-09 | Mavericks | 50-32 | L, Second Round |
| 2009-10 | Mavericks | 55-27 | L, First Round |
| 2010-11 | Mavericks | 57-25 | NBA Champions |
| 2011-12 | Mavericks | 36-30 | L, First Round |
| 2012-13 | Mavericks | 41-41 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2013-14 | Mavericks | 49-33 | L, Second Round |
| 2014-15 | Mavericks | 50-32 | L, First Round |
| 2015-16 | Mavericks | 42-40 | L, First Round |
| 2016-17 | Mavericks | 33-49 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2017-18 | Mavericks | 24-58 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2018-19 | Mavericks | 33-49 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2019-20 | Mavericks | 43-32 | L, First Round |
| 2020-21 | Mavericks | 42-30 | L, First Round |
| 2021-22 | Pacers | 25-57 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2022-23 | Pacers | 35-47 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2023-24 | Pacers | 47-35 | L, Eastern Conference Finals |
| 2024-25 | Pacers | 50-32 | TBD |
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