Pa Luke Adams | on September 28, 2026 10:10 p.m
Former NBA guard Genre Pargo and a player development coach Isaac Jacob were appointed assistant head coaches Rick Carlislethe Pacers announced today in a press release. Pargo will also serve as director of player development.
The raises are just two of many changes to the coaching staff and front office announced by Indiana on Monday. Martin Tombe (assistant coach, player development), Joel Okafor (chief video coordinator, Mike Bronn (Vice President of Player Personnel), and K. J. Pritchard (College Scout/Director of Mass Scouting) were among others who received promotions, while Ryan Curran (assistant video coordinator) and Luca Desta (director of college scouting) were the two new additions to the Pacers staff.
We have more from Indiana:
- Star point guard Tyrese Halliburton and a new launch center Ivitsa Zubak haven’t played together yet, but Zubak is sure it won’t take long before the duo reunites, writes Zion Brown of The Indianapolis Star. “It was very natural for me” Zubak said he played Halliburton in pre-camp scrimmages earlier this month. “It’s never hard to play with smart point guards. It doesn’t take us long to gel.”
- While the Pacers don’t have room under the hard cap of the first apron to carry the veteran forward James Johnson on the opening night roster, general manager Chad Buchanan suggested Johnson could return later in the season, and the team is excited to have the veteran leader come training camp. “He won’t hold his tongue for anyone,” Pacers forward Obie Toppin said Brown. “He knows what we need to be successful. Even if it’s for a few days, he’s going to make his presence known and make sure our team knows what it takes to get to that level.”
- Zubak is expected to get the lion’s share of minutes at the five, but Buchanan said last week that he believes the Pacers have no shortage of options at center Tony East of Circle City Spin. “Jay (Half‘s) there. Obi plays on five”, he said. “The coach even flirts with Jalen Slawson a little there for five sometimes too. Larry (Nance Jr.) just gives us some extra depth.”
- The Pacers rarely pay luxury tax penalties, but they are tax-capped this season and currently plan to do so again in 2027/28, according to East, who will take a closer look in a story for Forbes on the team’s future equity situation.
- In case you missed it, Halliburton coming off an Achilles tear that cost him the entire 2025/26 season declared himself “100%” without “no limits” during its media day availability on Monday.
