Pacers hire Johnny Carpenter, promote Jim Boylen

The Pacers have added Johnny Carpenter to Rick Carlisle‘s coaching staff as an assistant, the team announced on Monday in a press release.

Carpenter spent the 2024/25 season in a player development/scouting role with the Grizzlies and was with the University of Virginia for nine years before that, working in a series of roles that included assistant coach, director of player personnel, and basketball technology assistant.

Carpenter has an existing relationship with Carlisle, having served as an assistant video coordinator for the Mavericks in 2014/15 when Carlisle was Dallas’ head coach.

As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star tweets, Carpenter also worked with big man Jay Huff at Virginia — he helped convince the Grizzlies to acquire him last season and will now reunite with Huff after a July trade sent the 27-year-old to Indiana.

The Pacers also announced in today’s press release that veteran assistant Jim Boylen will move to the front of the bench, joining Lloyd Pierce and Jenny Boucek as Carlisle’s top assistants. Boylen will fill the opening created after Mike Weinar and the Pacers mutually agreed to part ways.