UNEXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT: THE MIAMI HEAT’S COACH IS ON LEAVE BECAUSE OF…
In a sudden but not entirely unexpected move, Pat Riley came down from the front office today to return as the Miami Heat’s head coach, replacing Stan Van Gundy, who resigned 21 games into a disappointing season because he said he wanted to spend more time with his family.
The announcement – made in a 45-minute news conference this morning in Miami where Van Gundy and Riley sat side by side – was a switch of positions that has come full circle; Riley stepped down as head coach to be the team president right before the 2003-2004 season and gave the job to Van Gundy, who had guided the Heat to a 112-73 record in his two-plus seasons.
Riley had said this past summer that he wanted to take more active participation in the team, sparking speculation he would replace Van Gundy; later Riley denied he wanted to do so.
But the team, which Riley restocked with new and controversial players over the summer, suffered when Shaquille O’Neal sprained his ankle in the second game of the season, and the Heat to a 11-10 record.
O’Neal returned to the lineup to help spark an overtime victory over Washington on Sunday. Still, Riley said “the team’s a mess,” at today’s news conference, broadcast live on Miami radio, WIOD. And with that, Riley, who won four championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, wasted little time asserting his authority, however reluctantly he said he reassumed it.
“With Shaq not being there for 18 games, various maladies, guys changing roles, I don’t want to make any excuses,” Riley said. “Injuries are part of the game. But, saying that, I do believe that this team is gong to have to make a decision whether they want to be part of greatness. This isn’t about winning a championship. That’s just a symbol. Players who care want to be part of great teams.”
Van Gundy said he came to a conclusion six weeks in the making – that the pain of being away from his four children and his wife, Kim, was too much to take.
“It’s the best job in the world, professionally, but it comes with a price, personally,” Van Gundy said. “It got to the point to be literally painful. I’m not willing to do that anymore.”
He added that the “timing stinks” but “I don’t think anyone up here thinks I’m getting forced out. If so, I would have gotten every dollar on my contract and walked out the door. Anybody speculating otherwise has to do so in total disregard to the facts.”
After taking three weeks off, Van Gundy will stay in an advisory role, working with player personnel.
“I can’t believe that people have that big a problem believing that someone would actually want to spend time with their family,” he said. “I don’t know why that’s so hard to buy into.”
The skepticism is fueled by the understanding that in Riley, the Heat will have a coach who has more pedigree, more championships and more respect from the team’s superstar.
Van Gundy took the Heat as far as the Eastern Conference finals last season with an ailing Dwyane Wade and O’Neal. The Heat lost to the Detroit Pistons in the final two minutes of Game 7. Still, leading up to that point, O’Neal had questioned some of Van Gundy’s playcalling, wondering why he did not get the ball more at crucial times of the games.
Riley wasted little time in putting his stamp on this team last summer, giving Van Gundy the difficult task of blending stars who all wanted the ball in their hands. He traded guard Eddie Jones to Memphis for point guard Jason Williams and forward James Posey. He added Antoine Walker and Gary Payton.
Training camp was, as a result, a rocky experience, with Van Gundy losing his voice while trying to teach all of his voluminous playbook at once. O’Neal took the position that Van Gundy should relax and recognize that it was only preseason.
When O’Neal got injured, Van Gundy seemed to have a ready excuse for the team’s struggles. But Van Gundy said he was already thinking of resigning.
He spoke to Riley after the first game of the season about wanting to spend more time with his children – Shannon, 14, Michael, 11, Alison, 9, Kelly, 6.
He then handed the team’s owner, Micky Arison, a confidential letter on Nov. 18. Arison said at the news conference he wanted to make a change as soon as possible.
Riley insisted that he tried to talk Van Gundy out of resigning and that it not been his intention to coach.
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