Erik Spoelstra

Erik Spoelstra begins his 16th season as head coach of the HEAT and his 29th as a member of the organization. Since being elevated to his current position on April 28, 2008, Spoelstra has rewarded the faith that HEAT President Pat Riley showed in him by garnering a 704-491 regular season record, a 109-75 postseason mark, 12 postseason appearances, nine division titles, six conference championships and guiding the franchise to a pair of NBA championships. Since his ascension to head coach, Miami has the third-highest regular season and fourth-highest postseason winning percentages in the NBA (both second in the Eastern Conference). In February 2022, Spoelstra was chosen as one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA history as part of the league’s 75th Anniversary Season celebration. The list was selected by a panel of 43 current and former NBA head coaches in collaboration with the National Basketball Coaches Association and Executive Director & General Counsel David Fogel.

In 15 seasons at the helm, Spoelstra has already established his place in the HEAT record book as the winningest coach in franchise history. He holds the franchise postseason records for victories (109), winning percentage (.592), series won (23) and games coached (184). In regular season play he ranks first in victories (704), games coached (1,195) and winning percentage (.589). Spoelstra, who passed Riley on Miami’s all-time victory list with win number 455 on Dec. 16, 2017, has also been honored as the NBA’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month a franchise-record nine times.

Since replacing Riley on the HEAT bench 15 years ago, Spoelstra has seen the expectations for his team change dramatically from the time he was appointed head coach until now. When he inherited the head coaching reins in 2008, he was given the task of improving a young team that had been ravaged by injuries the previous season and had won just 15 games. Two years later, after the summer of 2010 in which Miami re-signed Dwyane Wade and acquired All-Stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh, he found himself coaching a highly talented, veteran group that was the most scrutinized team in the NBA. Throughout his tenure he has remained a steadying influence for his team and its paid huge dividends in return. When the HEAT defeated Indiana in the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals, they became just the third franchise in NBA history to make four consecutive NBA Finals appearances, joining the Celtics and Lakers. It also made them at the time just one of 10 franchises in the four major North American sports leagues to make four consecutive trips to the league championship. Individually, Spoelstra became just the fourth head coach in NBA history to lead his team to four consecutive Finals appearances joining Red Auerbach, K.C. Jones and Pat Riley, all of whom have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.

Spoelstra, who currently sits in 11th place on the NBA’s all-time postseason winning percentage list (minimum 50 games coached) and fourth among active head coaches, joined a very elite fraternity when he led the HEAT to a seven-game series win over the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals. Upon capturing the 2013 NBA Championship he became just the 13th head coach in NBA history to have won multiple championships and only the eighth to win a championship in consecutive seasons. In regular season play, he’s currently ranked 20th on the NBA’s all-time victories list and 15th all-time in regular season win percentage (minimum 500 games coached).

Since he took over the HEAT in 2008, no coach has recorded more playoff victories than Spoelstra’s 109 and his 23-postseason series wins are tied with Golden State’s Steve Kerr for the most by an individual the past 15 seasons. Under Spoelstra, the HEAT has advanced to the playoffs in 12 of his 15 seasons and have won 23 of 33 postseason series (.697 winning percentage), including a franchise-record 11 consecutive series from 2012-14. Spoelstra’s teams have a 23-13 (.639) record when having an opponent on the brink of elimination, including a 13-3 (.813) mark at the Kaseya Center, and a 12-10 (.545) mark when they are on the brink of elimination. One of the keys to that success has been Miami’s dominance at the home under Spoelstra. In his 15 seasons, Spoelstra’s regular season record at the Kaseya Center is a sterling 399-194 (.673) and his postseason record at home is an even better 59-24 (.711). The HEAT has also proven to be able to win away from home, evidenced by five straight seasons from 2009-14 that Miami posted a winning road record, a first in franchise history. Additionally, Miami won at least one postseason road game in 23 consecutive series from 2011-20, the second-best mark in NBA history.

In February 2022, Spoelstra was chosen as one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA history as part of the league’s 75th Anniversary Season celebration.