It was seen as a formality in the summer, but the Miami Heat have now made it official: head coach Erik Spoelstra has received a contract extension.
Following from Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel:
With no formal team announcement made either when the agreement was reached or at the start of the season, the team responded to media requests with confirmation that Spoelstra’s contract runs beyond this season.
Spoelstra issued a statement through the team prior to Friday night’s game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, thanking owner Micky Arison and Heat President Pat Riley for the previously signed extension.
“I would like to thank the Arisons and Pat for their continued confidence in me and my staff and are humbled in their trust in me as head coach,” he said. “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.”
There’s no surprise here. Erik Spoelstra has proved his worth as an NBA head coach in multiple settings including winning two titles. With the Heat poised to begin a rebuild period following Dwyane Wade’s departure, it seems only right to allow the second longest tenured coach to develop a new roster from the beginning, although it’s not clear exactly how long this extension is good for.
