NEW YORK, May 7 (UPI) -- Continuing an incredible rookie season, Rick Carlisle Tuesday was named NBA Coach of the Year after guiding the Detroit Pistons to their first Central Division title since the 1989-90 season.
The sixth coach to win the award in his first season, Carlisle is the third member of his team to be honored in the postseason, joining Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace and Sixth Man of the Year Corliss Williamson.
Carlisle received 73 votes from a 126-person panel of national media members. Rick Adelman of the Sacramento Kings was second with 21 votes, followed by Byron Scott of the New Jersey Nets with 15.
Under Carlisle's guidance, the Pistons (50-32) had an 18-game improvement from last season -- the second-best in the league behind the Washington Wizards.
Carlisle joins Ray Scott (1974) as the only coaches in Pistons franchise history to win the award. He is the third in the last five seasons to earn it in his first year, joining Orlando's Doc Rivers (2000) and Indiana's Larry Bird (1998).
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