- Erik Spoelstra
Erik Celino Spoelstra (born
November 1 ,1970 inEvanston, Illinois ) is thehead coach of theNBA 'sMiami Heat . He is the firstFilipino-American head coach in the NBA. From 2001 to 2008, he served as Assistant Coach/Director of Scouting for the team.cite web| url=http://www.nba.com/heat/news/riley_spoelstra_080428.html| title=Riley Steps Down, Spoelstra Named Head Coach| format=HTML| publisher=NBA.com| accessdate=2008-04-28] [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=116845 Abs-Cbn Interactive, TV Patrol: First ever Filipino head coach in the NBA] ]Early life
Spoelstra [ [http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-flspspoelstra29sbapr29,0,7320974.story?track=rss Meet new Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra] ] grew up in
Portland, Oregon , where he graduated from Jesuit High School in 1988, and from theUniversity of Portland , in 1992.cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/nba/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1209450324169300.xml&coll=7| last=Arnold|first=Geoffrey C|work=The Oregonian |date=2008-04-29|accessdate=2008-04-29|title=Spoelstra in, Riley out] At Jesuit High School, Spoelstra is third all-time in assists (488), tied for third in three-pointers made (156) and sixth in both three-point percentage (.384) and free throw percentage (.824). [ [http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=120942101013057300 Ex-Pilot, Crusader Erik Spoelstra named Miami Heat coach ] ]In Portland where he was the starting point guard for four years, he averaged 9.2 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game and was named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year. He is a member of Portland's 1,000-point club.
After graduation from college, he spent two years as a player/coach for TuS Herten (later the Herten Ruhr Devils), a German professional team.
His father, Jon Spoelstra, was an NBA executive for the
Portland Trail Blazers ,Denver Nuggets andNew Jersey Nets .cite web| url=http://www.nba.com/heat/news/riley_spoelstra_080428.html| title=Riley Steps Down, Spoelstra Named Head Coach| format=HTML| publisher=NBA.com| accessdate=2008-04-28] Spoelstra is one-quarter Dutch-Irish on his father's side, and his mother, Elisa Celino is Filipino, fromSan Pablo ,Laguna . [cite news |author=Nick Vicera |title=Erik Spoelstra: He puts the Heat on |url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/26427/Erik-Spoelstra-He-puts-the-Heat-on |publisher=Filipinas Magazine & GMA News.TV |dat=2007-01-11 |accessdate=2008-04-30 ] He was cited bySports Illustrated (May 30, 2005) for honing star guardDwyane Wade ’s "shooting balance and smoothing out his release after the Flash’s return from theAthens Olympics ." [ [http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20080503-134340/Spoelstra-first-Filipino-NBA-head-coach Inquirer.net, Spoelstra first Filipino NBA head coach] ]Miami Heat
In April, 2008, Spoelstra (known to the players as "Coach Spo") was named successor to
Pat Riley as head coach of theMiami Heat . Spoelstra joined the Heat staff in 1995 as the team's video coordinator. After two years, he was named Assistant Coach/Video Coordinator, then promoted to Assistant Coach/Advance Scout in 1999. He became the Assistant Coach/Director of Scouting in 2001. Spoelstra is theNBA 's youngest current head coach; 69 days younger than the second youngest head coach,Lawrence Frank of the New Jersey Nets.cite web| url=http://www.nba.com/heat/news/riley_spoelstra_080428.html| title=Riley Steps Down, Spoelstra Named Head Coach| format=HTML| publisher=NBA.com| accessdate=2008-04-28]In naming Spoelstra as head coach, Riley said: "This game is now about younger coaches who are technologically skilled, innovative and bring fresh new ideas. That's what we feel we are getting with Erik Spoelstra. He's a man that was born to coach." [ [http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=120942101013057300 Ex-Pilot, Crusader Erik Spoelstra named Miami Heat coach ] ] Pat Riley plans to change his approach from when
Stan Van Gundy was the coach. Riley predicted: "A lot of players want the discipline; they will play [hard] for Spoelstra, because 'they respect him.'" [ [http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/519566.html miamiherald.com, Riley to change course with coach] ]During Erik Spoelstra's experience with the Miami Heat, there was wide speculation that Pat Riley would pick Spoelstra as his successor. Spoelstra was frequently the coach for Miami's summer league in which he enjoyed successful stints.
Coaching Record
References
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