Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra signed a contract extension during the offseason to remain with the franchise, the club officially confirmed today, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The deal wasn’t announced at the time of its completion, though summer reports indicated it was considered a formality.
“I would like to thank the Arisons and Pat [Riley] for their continued confidence in me and my staff and are humbled in their trust in me as head coach,” Spoelstra said in a statement. “It has been an incredible 22 years being part of the Miami Heat family and we will look to continue our goal of winning NBA championships.”
The announcement may be a belated one, but it doesn’t come as any real surprise. As Winderman notes, Spoelstra’s voice within the organization has grown in recent years, as he has become more involved with personnel decisions and filled out the team’s coaching staff with his own hires. The team didn’t reveal the terms of Spoelstra’s new extension, but it’s safe to say that the Heat view him as the long-term fit for the job, even as they go through a rebuilding phase.
Spoelstra – who was an assistant for more than a decade in Miami before his promotion – is currently the NBA’s second-longest-tenured head coach, trailing only Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. Over the course of his career with the Heat, Spoelstra has led the team to a 673-409 (.608) mark during the regular season. He has also enjoyed significant success in the playoffs, with a career postseason record of 70-43 (.619), including four Finals appearances and two titles.
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical first reported in June that Spoelstra and the Heat were nearing an extension, while Riley confirmed in July that the two sides were working toward a new deal.