Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle praises new head coaches of Indiana Fever and Indianapolis Colts

It has been a busy week in Indianapolis as two skilled sports activities franchises employed new coaches. The Indiana Fever introduced in Christie Sides to information the crew by way of their rebuild whereas the Indianapolis Colts employed Jeff Saturday to reignite the roster after a 3-5-1 begin.

Pacers assistant basic supervisor Kelly Krauskopf was the President and GM of the Fever for almost twenty years. She was answerable for the WNBA franchise when Sides was an assistant earlier this decade, and she or he was pleased with the rent.

“I bought a primary hand take a look at her data and her communication expertise. She had nice management presence as an assistant coach. I used to be a giant fan from the start,” Krauskopf saif of Sides.

Now, Sides is the top coach of the Indiana Fever. She involves the Fever from the Atlanta Dream, the place she served as an assistant final season. Sides attended the Pacers sport in opposition to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle mentioned the Fever hiring Sides on Saturday earlier than that sport. “[I want to] congratulate coach Christie Sides for turning into the brand new Fever head coach. Fairly thrilling time for her and within the franchise,” he stated. He additionally applauded the Fever for profitable the WNBA Draft Lottery on Friday night time.

Sides replaces former Pacers participant Carlos Knox as the top coach of the Fever.

In the meantime, over within the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts simply moved on from head coach Frank Reich and introduced in former participant Jeff Saturday to educate on an interim foundation. Saturday had little expertise teaching on the professional stage, so many discovered the hiring stunning.

The Colts tackle the Las Vegas Raiders immediately of their first sport beneath Saturday. Carlisle shared that he and Saturday shared messages this week.

“I used to be in a position to briefly change messages with Jeff Saturday immediately. I bought his quantity and wished him properly. It is a very distinctive scenario, what he is finished, what he is taking over,” Carlisle stated. “[I’ve] adopted the entire thing this week fairly carefully as a result of, , how are you going to not comply with it? It is such an enchanting scenario.”

Saturday spent 13 seasons beneath heart for the Colts and gained a Tremendous Bowl in 2006. He coached at the highschool stage earlier than being employed by Indianapolis.

“What he is doing takes an incredible quantity of braveness to step into that scenario. However I’ve seen it work earlier than,” Rick Carlisle stated. “I got here right here with Larry Fowl in 1997 and there have been loads of doubters and loads of detractors. And all he did was change into the coach of the yr, his first yr,” he added. Carlisle and Fowl got here to Indiana’s teaching employees in the identical yr in 1997 and led the crew to the Jap Convention Finals.

Saturday commented on his dialog with Carlisle earlier this weekend. “It was surreal. I instructed him, I’ve beloved what he is finished for therefore a few years… when he reached out, it meant the world to me,” Saturday stated, per Larra Overton of the Colts.

Carlisle is within the second season of his second stint teaching the Pacers. Sides will get her first likelihood to educate the Fever subsequent Might whereas Saturday will get his first likelihood immediately.

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