When it comes to leading an organization to success, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, advocates deploying a full-court press on building relationships through trust and problem solving through resourcefulness.
Carlisle (COLL ’84) was the featured guest this week for the first Batten Hour of the fall 2025 semester. Speaking to a packed audience in the Great Hall, Carlisle talked about the values that have inspired him throughout his career, both on and off the court.
Renowned for his adaptability, strategy, and leadership, Carlisle is one of only 12 people to win an NBA championship as both a player and coach. As co-captain of UVA’s 1984 Final Four team, he was drafted by the Celtics, winning a title in 1986 before going on to play for the Knicks and Nets. His coaching career includes earning the 2002 NBA Coach of the Year Award, leading the Mavericks to their first NBA Championship in 2011, and head coaching stints with the Pistons and Pacers.
“Relationship building is going to be very important for your careers,” he said. “It just makes sense, when you build an organization, build a team, that you want to have strong internal relationships, and the ability to extend it to the outer world.” Carlisle said he’s experienced this critical shift over ten times in his career from a relationship he had developed long before.
At the core of strong relationships, he went on, is earning and cultivating trust. “It’s not something to be traded likes stocks and bonds. Trust is an intrinsic thing, like love,” he said.
Resourcefulness is another guiding principle for Carlisle. “People have an insatiable appetite to problem-solve. You probably know at least one person who can get stuff done, and if you’re one of those, you’re going to stand out from others,” particularly in hiring situations, he said.
“Every day is an opportunity to build relationships and exercise resourcefulness.”
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