MIAMI (AP) — Erik Spoelstra is now No. 1. And the Miami Heat coach isn’t thrilled by that growth. The…
MIAMI (AP) — Erik Spoelstra is now No. 1. And the Miami Heat coach isn’t thrilled by that growth.
The finish of Mike Tomlin’s 19-year tenure as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday meant Spoelstra — who has coached the Miami Heat since 2008 — is now the longest-serving amongst active coaches in the 4 greatest U.S. major sports leagues.
“That really bummed me out,” Spoelstra stated Tuesday.
Spoelstra turned the NBA coach with the longest active tenure when San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich retired final yr. And at the moment, amongst those that handle in Major League Baseball or are head coaches in the NFL, NBA or NHL solely Tomlin had been in his position longer than Spoelstra.
“My video room has sent me interview clips of coach Tomlin for years,” Spoelstra stated earlier than Miami’s sport towards the Phoenix Suns. “I just love everything he’s about. He’s a coach’s coach, super motivational in how he articulates his thoughts.”
Kansas City’s Andy Reid, who has been with the Chiefs since 2013, is now the coach with the longest active tenure in the NFL. Tampa has the excellence of getting the longest-serving in hockey and baseball: The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Jon Cooper was employed in 2013, and the Tampa Bay Rays’ Kevin Cash was employed to handle in 2014.
Spoelstra additionally expressed some dismay that John Harbaugh’s time with the Baltimore Ravens ended this season as nicely; Harbaugh was let go after 18 seasons there. Spoelstra stated a few of his greatest durations of progress as a coach have come after disappointing seasons, and wished that different groups had the Heat strategy — the place stability is valued.
“I wish I wasn’t the longest tenured,” Spoelstra stated. “Some people could look at that as a badge of honor. I look at that as really a disappointment to this profession, that there’s not more coaches that are given an opportunity to work through things.”
___
AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA
Copyright
© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials will not be revealed, broadcast, written or redistributed.