Rick Carlisle’s parents, Preston and Joan, raised him in Lisbon, New York, with quiet discipline. His parents supported his athletic journey from a young age and are proud of his accomplishments.
He is among the 14 athletes to win an NBA championship as both a player and a coach.
Highlights
- Preston Carlisle, a dedicated attorney, fought to include 8-year-old Rick in pickup games with older men, igniting his passion for basketball and teaching resilience.
- Rick mirrored his father’s bald look for Preston’s 80th birthday, calling him the most awesome person in the world and his most excellent role model.
- The Carlisle family honored Preston’s legacy by funding the Preston C. Carlisle Youth Athletic Center at the Ogdensburg Boys & Girls Club.
The Boston Celtics selected Rick in the 1984 NBA draft and won the 1986 NBA championship.
He had a limited reserve role from 1984 to 1987 and then played for the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
Moreover, he played for the New York Knicks under coach Rick Pitino and the New Jersey Nets under Bill Fitch before retiring from his playing career.
Rick began his assistant coaching position at the Brooklyn Nets in 1989 and spent three seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers from 1994.
He joined the Indiana Pacers in 1997 and led them to the NBA Finals for the first time in the 1999-2000 season. Later, he joined the Detroit Pistons in the 2001-02 season and was named Coach of the Year in 2002.
After leading the Dallas Mavericks to their franchise’s first championship in the 2011 NBA Finals, Rick returned to the Indian Pacers for the third stint on June 24, 2021.
The Indian Pacers are facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals.
The Pacers’ head coach defended referee Scott Foster, who has come under fire for his officiating in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
It’s awful what some of the things I’ve seen about the officiating and Scott Foster in particular. He’s a great official, he’s done a great job in this playoffs.
Rick Carlisle
Rick Carlisle Honored His Father In The Most Personal Way
Richard Preston Carlisle, the son of Preston and Joan, was born on October 27, 1959, in Ogdensburg, New York. They raised him alongside his brother, Bill, and sister, Kari.
His father’s determination and his mother’s unwavering support helped mold him into the leader he is today.

Preston, a dedicated attorney who built a successful law career spanning over 50 years, played a pivotal role in shaping Rick’s love for basketball.
When Rick was just eight years old, Preston began taking him to daily pickup games with men in their 30s.
Guys, back then, didn’t want a kid playing, and Preston fought to get his son in those games, which sparked Rick’s interest in the game.
Decades later, Rick paid tribute to Preston in a heartfelt way. He shaved his head without explanation.
Later, he revealed the reason at Preston’s surprise 80th birthday party in upstate New York. He shared why he had cut his hair and planned to keep it that way.
He’s the person who I think is the most awesome person in the world, and has been the greatest role model for me and my brother and my sister. That’s the reason I did it.
Rick Carlisle
The gesture mirrored Preston’s baldness, a look he’d sported since his mid-20s.
Preston was touched by the tribute and felt great, whereas Joan beamed with pride at the man her son had become. She noted, “Now that he cut his hair, he looks a lot like his dad.“
The Carlisle Family Honored Preston Carlisle Building Preston C. Carlisle Youth Athletic Center
The Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club celebrated a significant milestone with the construction of a new gymnasium.
It was made possible by a generous donation from the Carlisle family in honor of beloved Ogdensburg attorney Preston Carlisle.

Preston’s son, Rick Carlisle, head coach of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and a Lisbon native, announced the new gymnasium during an outdoor ceremony.
The donation was made on behalf of Preston’s children, Rick, Bill, and Kari, along with their spouses and all 19 grandchildren.
My father devoted his life to fighting for his clients in the legal forum and supporting the hopes and dreams of his children, grandchildren, relatives and friends. The Preston C. Carlisle Youth Athletic Center will be an enduring symbol of his life’s work and passion.
Rick Carlisle
Preston Carlisle was deeply involved with the Boys and Girls Club, serving on its board in the early 1970s and helping establish its current Patterson Street location in 1975.
Program Director Tom Luckie expressed gratitude for the family’s contribution and stated that they are fortunate to have such incredible community support.
Tom’s father, Thomas P. Luckie Sr., led the club from 1965 to 2005.
The ceremony coincided with Preston’s 90th birthday on September 6, 2020.
Furthermore, Rick and his brother shared countless hours at the Boys Club while growing up. He reflected that most of his dreams started from the club.
He also encouraged others to give back to their communities when possible.
Additional Information
- Rick Carlisle played two years of college basketball at the University of Maine before transferring to the University of Virginia.
- He married pediatrician Dr. Donna Nobile in 2000, and their daughter, Abby, was born in 2005.
- He is a private pilot who has logged over 200 hours of flight time in his Cirrus SR22T single-engine light aircraft.
- As of 2025, his net worth is estimated at $8 million, and he earns $4.5 million annually.