Riley Calls It Quits; Spoelstra Takes Over

Where were you the last time you heard this news: Pat Riley is retiring as coach. And the time before that? And the time before that?

Well, Heat fans - and Knick fans - should be able to remember those moments. I still remember the surreal moment we landed Pat Riley here in South Florida. The fortune of this franchise changed instantly.

And now, Riley is once again leaving the bench and heading upstairs. In 2003, four days before the start of the regular season a change was made. Back then it was in favor of Stan Van Gundy, who is currently leading his young Magic team through the playoffs. Today the change is being made for a young Erik Spoelstra, a virtual unknown outside of these parts. And really only known to those of us who are hard core fans of the Heat.

Spoelstra, at 37, is now the youngest coach in the NBA - 69 days the junior to Lawrence Frank. He has been a fixture on the Heat's bench since 2003, mostly working with players on their jump shooting techniques and scouting. His coaching presence has been felt as even Dwyane Wade has paid complements to Spoelstra for helping him grown and develop his game.

Earlier in the season, Riley had stated he was committed to coaching for the remainder of his contract. A big factor in the change of heart may have come from Shaq - who was with the team at the time Riley made that statement but has now been dealt to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. Most obviously, this is the reason why Stan Van Gundy got cold feet back in 2006 and why Riley stepped in - due to Shaq's pressing.

Now, Riley is free to be simply the team president and GM. Naming Spoelstra to this position has been a while in the making. Other candidates were Ron Rothstein and even Mike Fratello - and I would suggest Jeff Van Gundy - but the time is now to rebuild so it might as well go all the way.

Maybe a big influence, too, in Riley's decision was his hall of fame induction. What more does he have to prove? He won a championship in 2006 and without all the injuries and locker room drama, and some questionable offseason decisions, who knows if another one wasn't in the stars. But that isn't for him to worry about - at least not on the court anyway. That is Erik Spoelstra's job - and let's hope it is not like it was for Stan Van Gundy.

Discuss the Heat's coaching move with us here. (Thanks Wadeskywalker for breaking the news on our site!)

Further Reading
Heat.com makes announcement on Riley coaching change in favor of Erik Spoelstra.