Erik Spoelstra

Head coach of the Miami Heat and U.S. national team, three-time NBA champion.

Erik Jon Spoelstra (born November 1, 1970) is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the U.S. national team. Nicknamed Spo, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time. He has won three NBA championships with the Heat, including two as the team's head coach. Following the retirement of Gregg Popovich as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs in 2025, and the resignation of head coach Mike Tomlin of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, Spoelstra is currently the longest-tenured active NBA head coach with a single team, and the longest-tenured active head coach in the four major North American sports leagues.

Quick Facts

Team: Miami Heat
Position: Head coach
League: NBA
Born: 1 November 1970
Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
High school: Jesuit (Beaverton, Oregon)
College: Portland (1988–1992)
Career position: Point guard

Lore & Background

Spoelstra played college basketball with the Portland Pilots before playing professionally in Germany. He served as assistant coach and director of scouting for the Heat from 2001 to 2008, during which time the team won the 2006 NBA Finals. Spoelstra was promoted to head coach in the 2008–09 season. The Heat have made six NBA Finals appearances during his tenure, winning consecutive championships in 2012 and 2013, becoming the first Asian American head coach in the four major North American sports leagues to win a championship.

Reader's Guide

Spoelstra was born in Evanston, Illinois, to Jon Spoelstra and Elisa Celino. He lived in Buffalo, New York, and moved to Portland, Oregon by the late 1970s. He attended Jesuit High School in Beaverton, Oregon, where he excelled at point guard. He wore number 30 in honor of Terry Porter. He played college basketball at the University of Portland, where he was named West Coast Conference freshman of the year in 1989 and graduated in 1992. After college, he worked at a Nike warehouse and then played as a player–assistant coach for TuS Herten in Germany from 1993 to 1995. He was hired as the Heat's video coordinator in 1995, became an assistant coach in 1997, and was promoted to head coach in April 2008. He led the Heat to the 2011 NBA Finals, losing to the Dallas Mavericks, then won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.

Did You Know?

Spoelstra was on the court when Hank Gathers collapsed and died during a 1990 WCC tournament game.
He coached the Heat to a 27-game winning streak in the 2012–13 season.