AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Former Detroit Pistons coach Rick Carlisle said Monday he plans to pursue coaching jobs this week during the NBA's predraft camp.
"I'm going to talk to two teams in Chicago about potential opportunities, and I'm excited about that," Carlisle said, less than an hour before Larry Brown was announced as his successor with the Pistons.
Carlisle, who declined to name the teams with whom he would interview, was abruptly fired Saturday after guiding Detroit to a pair of 50-win seasons and an appearance this year in the Eastern Conference finals.
The 42-year-old was fired with one year and $2 million left on his contract despite winning two straight division titles and the NBA Coach of the Year award in 2002.
He sat next to the man who had just fired him, Joe Dumars, Saturday afternoon at the Pistons' practice facility. Carlisle poked fun at himself during an opening statement, then initiated jokes and even defended Dumars' decision when he was pressed to explain the dismissal.
Carlisle, in his first head coaching job, helped turn Detroit from a lottery team into one of the top teams in the East.
He led the Pistons to a 100-64 regular-season record and a 12-15 postseason mark over two years. Their season ended May 24 when they were swept by New Jersey in the conference finals.
Some believed there was tension between Dumars and Carlisle, but both denied that was true Saturday.