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May 30, 2001

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Former University of Virginia basketball player Rick Carlisle is the new head coach of the Detroit Pistons. Carlisle was introduced as head coach of the Pistons on May 25.

Carlisle played two seasons at guard for Virginia after transferring from the University of Maine. He was one of the captains of UVa’s 1984 NCAA Final Four team.

“I am very pleased that I have been able to hire a coach the caliber of Rick Carlisle to lead the Pistons into the future,” said Pistons’ President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars in making the announcement of Carlisle’s hiring. “His time in the NBA as an assistant coach has been well documented, and we believe that he will be the person to turn the fortunes of this franchise around.”

Carlisle has 16 years of experience as a player and an assistant coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted in the third round of the 1984 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics and played three seasons with the Celtics. Boston won the NBA Championship in 1986. Carlisle also played with the New York Knickerbockers and the New Jersey Nets.

He spent 11 years as an assistant coach in the NBA. He was an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Indiana Pacers. Carlisle was a radio analyst with the Seattle SuperSonics during the 2000-01 season.

“I think this is a great opportunity for me,” Carlisle said. `We have an excellent young nucleus in Jerry Stackhouse and Ben Wallace, and I think the future of this organization is very promising. I look forward to being part of the success.”

Carlisle is a native of Ogdensburg, N.Y. He averaged 10.3 points a game for Virginia during the 1982-83 season and 11.1 points a game in 1983-84. His 10-foot jump shot with four seconds left in overtime provided the Cavaliers with their margin of victory in a 53-51 win over Arkansas in the second round of the 1984 NCAA Tournament.

Carlisle earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Virginia in 1984.

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