There are only five coaches who have reached the NBA Finals with two different franchises since the 1976 merger. Rick Carlisle is the latest to accomplish the rare feat, now reaching the championship series with both the Mavericks (2011) and Pacers (2025).
It’s been about 20 years since a new head coach added his name to this list. Then, it was Larry Brown, who won the East in 2001 with the 76ers. Three years later, he won the NBA Finals with the Pistons in his first year as head coach.
In an amusing twist of fate, the head coach that Brown succeeded in Detroit was… Carlisle.
An asterisk denotes coaches who *won* the NBA Finals with at least two different teams.
Head Coaches Who Made the NBA Finals With Two Different Teams
| Head Coach | First Team (NBA Finals App.) | Other Teams (NBA Finals App.) |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Fitch | Celtics (1981) | Rockets (1986) |
| Pat Riley* | Lakers (1982, '85, '87, '88) | Knicks (1994); Heat (2006) |
| Phil Jackson* | Bulls (1991-93, 1996-98) | Lakers (2000-02, '04, '08, '09, '10) |
| Larry Brown | 76ers (2001) | Pistons (2004, '05) |
| Rick Carlisle | Mavericks (2011) | Pacers (2025) |
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