J.B. Bickerstaff to replace Rick Carlisle as NBA Coaches Association President in 2026

At the moment, Rick Carlisle has his hands full. On one hand, he is the head coach for the Indiana Pacers. Then, on the other hand, he is president of the NBA Coaches Association.

That is, until next year. On Tuesday, it was confirmed that Carlisle will step down as president of the Coaches Association, per Daniel Donabedian of ClutchPoints. His replacement will be J.B. Bickerstaff, head coach of the Detroit Pistons.

Since 2005, Carlisle has been the president. Altogether, he has overseen communication between all the other coaches and facilitated the league’s social justice initiatives. On the coaching side, Carlisle has been the Pacers’ head coach since 2021.

Before, he was the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks from 2008-2021. In 2011, he was the head coach when Dallas won the NBA championship. Also, Carlisle had a previous stint with the Pacers from 2003-2007. As a player, he was with the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and New Jersey Nets.

Meanwhile, Bickerstaff has been the Pistons’ head coach since 2024. Before then, he had been fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season, Bickerstaff oversaw the Pistons’ return to the playoffs for the first time since 2018-2019.

Currently, the Pistons are 22-8 and have the best record in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, the Pacers are 6-22 and the second-to-last-place team in the East.

The other NBA coaches who were the Coaches Association presidents. 

In 1976, Boston Celtics coach Tommy Heinsohn established the NBA Coaches Association.

The longest-serving president of the NBCA was Lenny Wilkins, serving from 1987-2005. During his tenure, NBA coaches saw increases in benefits, pensions, and salaries, as well as in disability insurance.

Other notable coaches, including Doc Rivers, Tom Thibodeau, and Mike Budenholzer, have all taken executive roles within the union.

Additionally, the union honors the annual Coach of the Year Award and a lifetime achievement award.

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