The Heat is on for NBA's 1st APA Head Coach by Lynda Lin, Assistant Editor

The Heat is on for NBA's 1st APA Head Coach


In April, Erik Spoelstra made history as the successor to a Hall of Fame coach. It's his love of basketball that has taken him this far.

By Lynda Lin, Assistant Editor
Published May 16, 2008

Call it one of the coolest job promotions ever. For Erik Spoelstra it's a dream come true.

After 13 seasons working with the Miami Heat, he was recently tapped to succeed Pat Riley and become the National Basketball League's current youngest head coach. At 37, he also made history as the league's first Asian Pacific American sideline boss. The moment isn't lost on him either.

"I'm very proud of my heritage," said Erik, who is of Irish, Dutch and Filipino descent.
"I'm very excited and at the same time extremely honored to hold this position in history."

A day before he stepped behind a podium at a news conference to announce to the world his new job title, he had to tell his family the good news first. He picked up the phone and left a mundane message for Monica Spoelstra Metz, his older sister. Just wanted to say hi, but call me back. Monica grew suspicious when her mom Lisa kept asking if she talked to Erik lately. Oh, you really should talk to him, Lisa insisted.

When the siblings finally connected that evening, Monica found out she was talking to the new head coach of the Miami Heat.

"We were so very excited," she said from her hometown of Portland, Oregon. But she can't really say that she was surprised.

Humble Beginnings

Erik's work ethic is now almost legendary - long hours, no sleep and barely any time off. The story about his rise to the top of the NBA reads like the plotline of a quintessential American dream. A starry-eyed kid from Portland gets an entry-level job with the Heat splicing videos and picking up lunches for the staff. His boss Pat Riley didn't even know his name for a few years.

It's Erik's great love of basketball that drives him, said Monica.

A few weeks into his new job, Erik is already ushering in an air of newness. In a sport dominated by a usual slate of grizzled, clipboard clutching sideline bosses, Erik chats with fans online and prefers e-mail over the more archaic form of communication - you know, the telephone. For the most part, he said life has not changed much, expect for a few minor points.

"Well, now I'm in a position to make final decisions. I used to be in a position to just suggest," said Erik in an e-mail to the Pacific Citizen. "I guess I also get recognized on the street a little more than I used to."




Destined for Success

"When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was play basketball, so I played every opportunity I could. I dreamed of being Isaiah Thomas and Magic Johnson," said Erik.

Growing up, basketball wasn't his only love.

"He had a lot of 'Star War' figures," said Monica with a laugh. But those quickly fell out of mind, when he dribbled his first basketball. Then Erik became a fixture in the family driveway teaching himself to handle the ball and dribble between his legs. His dad Jon Spoelstra, a former NBA executive with the Portland Trailblazers, made three-point hash marks for young Erik. And through rain or cold, Monica would look out the window and see him shooting basketballs in his wool cap.

Jon met his future wife Lisa when he was traveling in the Philippines during a year off of college. They were introduced by mutual friends and kept in touch for two years through letters. Then he proposed and brought her to America where they eventually settled in Portland.

"I grew up looking different than most kids at school, so that's probably the most obvious way I experienced my Asian roots. People were always wondering what I was," he said.

"I would say the Asian influences were in food and cuisine ... and commitment to family and extended family. My mom cooks a lot of fish and rice, and my uncle makes awesome lumpia."

Erik grew up around the game.

"I must have attended almost every Portland Trailblazer home game when I was a kid. That really stoked my passion for the game."

After graduating from Jesuit High School in 1988, Erik went on to the University of Portland where he was the Pilots' starting point guard for three years and was named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year in 1989.

When Larry Steele, a former Portland Trail Blazers guard and college coach, first met Erik he saw a personable gentleman and a fierce competitor on the court. He watched Erik grow up and come into his own as a leader.

"He was dedicated to doing things correctly," said Steele. "He spent many, many hours honing his basketball skills. He was destined to become successful."

After college, Erik spent two seasons as a player and coach for a German professional basketball team before taking a low level job with the Miami Heat as their video coordinator.

"At the Miami Heat, I've worn many hats. In fact, many of the jobs I've had to do wouldn't appear to lead to a head coaching position," he said. "But I stayed in the moment as much as possible, and did that particular job at the time to the best of my ability. Because of that, my opportunities just arose naturally."

Other job titles came along: assistant coach/advance scout and assistant coach/director of scouting. And success poured in. In 2006, the Heat won their first ever NBA championship against the Dallas Mavericks. But two years later, the team ended their season with a league-worst record of 15-67.

Then his longtime mentor said he was "definitely sure" he didn't want to coach anymore. And then Riley said Erik's name in the April 28 press conference.

"We're hiring Erik Spoelstra today to get a result," he said at the press conference. "When you take a look at the game today, it's a game about men like Erik who are very, very talented, have an incredible work ethic, are loyal, trustworthy and deserve an opportunity."

Just like that, the kid who no one knew was thrust into the spotlight.

A New Future

"It was just the right opportunity for this organization," said Erik about his new job. "I fully realize how difficult it is to get a head coaching job in this league. There are so many successful and talented coaches out there. But each team and situation is different. Pat Riley felt that continuity was going to be very important with this change."

Riley remains the Heat's president, something Erik is glad to still have.

"We've had a great working relationship for 13 years. I look forward to continuing to work together for the common goal of trying to bring another championship to the city of Miami. And what better resource could I have as a young coach to go to when I need advice? I'm sure I'll be in his office a lot asking his advice on various things."

Even with the demands and pressure of the new job, Erik is determined to not let his new job title change his life too much. His tight-knit family tries to go on vacations together once or twice a year. On these trips, while everyone sleeps in, Erik often wakes up at the crack of dawn and goes on eight-mile runs, said Monica.

But for now, Erik and his coaching staff are focusing on the May 20 NBA draft lottery and the June 26 draft itself to help rebuild his team.

"I will be involved in the decision-making process of the draft. Right now, we are all (personnel staff and coaching staff) watching film and analyzing statistical data on possible prospects. This draft is an exciting possibility for our franchise," said Erik.

"We are very encouraged about our current situation. We acknowledge our season last year and how we got to where we are now, but we use that as motivation in moving forward. We like our young core of athletic, exciting players returning under contract.

"I think it's important that I stay true to myself. I can't try to be Pat Riley or anyone else. Communic-ation is something I'll work very hard at with my players.

"But, ultimately, my relationships and connection with the players probably won't be any better or worse, it will just be different," he said.