ESPN - Riley steps down as Heat coach, will be replaced by assistant Spoelstra - NBA
Pat Riley's worst season as coach of the Miami Heat will be his last.
The Hall of Famer resigned as coach Monday but remains team president. Erik Spoelstra, a 37-year-old assistant, will succeed Riley and become the NBA's youngest current coach. Spoelstra has never been a head coach at any level outside the NBA's summer league.
Miami finished the season with the NBA's poorest record (15-67) and, by far, the worst of Riley's 25-year career.
"I look forward to the challenge," said Spoelstra, who received word of the decision over the weekend.
As president, Riley will continue overseeing the plan to rebuild a franchise that's just two years removed from a championship, after deciding that he'd best benefit the franchise by working exclusively from the front office.
Rank Riley among the top coaches in the history of the NBA
ESPN: SportsNation Polling - 3470 - SportsNation
Where does everyone rank him in, the top 20, 10 , 5?