Pacers and Well-Regarded Coach Mike Weinar Part Ways

The Pacers and assistant coach Mike Weinar have mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced on Friday afternoon. 

Weinar is only 41 years old but already has 17 years of NBA coaching experience. He began as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida in a period where the team won back-to-back NCAA titles. 

After leaving Florida, Weinar joined the Mavericks bench in 2008 and frequently worked his way up the ladder over the next 13 years. He left the Mavericks for the Pacers and has been in Indiana since 2021. 

The one common denominator for Weinar during his coaching career has been Head Coach Rick Carlisle, as the two have worked together for all 17 years. 

Carlisle said of the coach's departure:

"Mike Weinar has been a trusted friend and loyal colleague for 17+ years. As a coach, he is a proven winner with two National Championship rings with Florida Men's Basketball in 2006 and 2007, and an NBA Championship ring from our 2011 championship run in Dallas. Mike also played a major role in this year's historic Finals run with the Pacers. Mike's exemplary character as a father, husband, and man has been evident to me over nearly two decades. Professional success has followed Mike everywhere he has gone, and will no doubt continue to do so in the future."

There will be immediate rumors that Weiner will be hired by the New York Knicks. The team pushed hard for him to join Mike Brown's staff as an assistant this summer and will likely make another push.