Rick Carlisle, Mavericks Agree to New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

The Dallas Mavericks secured their head coaching future Thursday by re-signing Rick Carlisle to a five-year, $35 million extension that will keep him on the Mavs' sidelines through 2021-22.

ESPN's Marc Stein was the first to report the finalization of what was a long-expected deal.

Following the announcement for the extension, Carlisle was extremely complimentary of the Mavericks organization, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com:

He also looked ahead to the challenges that stand before him, per Sneed:

This marks Carlisle's eighth season as the Mavericks' head coach, and while he could have hit the open market at the conclusion of the 2015-16 campaign, owner Mark Cuban was unwilling to allow the most successful coach in team history to slip away.

The 56-year-old Carlisle entered the season having won just over 60 percent of his regular-season games as head coach of the Mavs. He has also made the playoffs in six of his seven seasons in Dallas, and he led the team to an NBA championship in 2011.    

Carlisle enjoyed previous fruitful stints with the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers as well, but his profile has reached new heights with the Mavericks.

He has done so much for the Mavs that general manager Donnie Nelson essentially suggested Carlisle has a lifetime spot with the organization, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com.

"Rick is our Jerry Sloan," Nelson said. "I think he's one of the top coaches in the league, if not the top coach. We're blessed and lucky to have him. He can be in Dallas as long as he wants to be."

That feeling seems to permeate throughout the team, as assistant coach Melvin Hunt believes Carlisle is able to connect on multiple levels, including with the coaches on his staff, per SiriusXM NBA Radio:

Carlisle has been a constant in Dallas over the past eight years along with forward Dirk Nowitzki, and the stability the two provide is needed since the Mavericks are a team in transition.

In addition to bringing in the likes of Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams, the Mavs lost Tyson Chandler, Monta Ellis and Rajon Rondo in free agency.

They also missed out on signing center DeAndre Jordan, who infamously agreed to a deal with the Mavericks before ultimately deciding to return to the Los Angeles Clippers.

There was no shortage of turnover and tumult regarding the team leading up to the 2015-16 season, but Carlisle has the influence to keep things moving in the right direction, even if expectations aren't particularly high for the Mavs.

It is unclear precisely how the pieces will fit together in Dallas moving forward, but Carlisle has a penchant for making things work no matter how dire they look.

Although it may take some time for the Mavericks to figure out what they have, Carlisle has a proven track record of winning across multiple organizations.

The Mavs' decision-makers are well-aware of Carlisle's resume, and with him, they likely gave themselves a chance to be competitive for many years to come even with a roster that has plenty of question marks.

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