Spoelstra passes Riley for most wins as Heat coach
Erik Spoelstra is officially the winningest head coach in Miami Heat history.
Spoelstra, 47, led his club to a 90-85 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday to claim his 455th regular-season win and overtake Pat Riley for the franchise lead.
#HEATwin!
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 17, 2017
With tonight's 90-85 victory Miami HEAT head coach Erik Spoelstra becomes the winningest coach in franchise history!
Congrats, Spo! #30YearsofHEAT pic.twitter.com/L5GNfBZohA
455 regular season career wins!#HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/DOCTMlJmVn
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 17, 2017
He tied Riley's record the previous night with a win over the Charlotte Hornets, in 99 fewer games no less. He's the sixth bench boss in the team's history.
| Coach | Tenure | Years | G | W | L | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Spoelstra | 2009-17 | 10 | 750 | 455 | 296 | .605 |
| Pat Riley | 1996-2003/2007-08 | 11 | 849 | 454 | 395 | .535 |
| Kevin Loughery | 1992-95 | 4 | 292 | 133 | 159 | .455 |
| Stan Van Gundy | 2004-06 | 3 | 185 | 112 | 73 | .605 |
| Ron Rothstein | 1989-91 | 3 | 246 | 57 | 189 | .232 |
| Alvin Gentry | 1995 | 1 | 36 | 15 | 21 | .417 |
(Courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com)
Spoelstra eclipsed Riley in playoff wins with his 35th in 2013. Overall, he led "The Heatles" to four straight NBA Finals from 2011-14, winning two championships in the process. The Heat are currently just outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture at 15-14.