MIAMI (AP) — Erik Spoelstra is now No. 1. And the Miami Heat coach isn't thrilled by that development.
The end 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 among active coaches in the four biggest U.S. major sports leagues.
“That really bummed me out,” Spoelstra said Tuesday.
Spoelstra became the NBA coach with the longest active tenure when San Antonio's Gregg Popovich retired last year. And at that time, among those who manage in Major League Baseball or are head coaches in the NFL, NBA or NHL only Tomlin had been in his role longer than Spoelstra.
“My video room has sent me interview clips of coach Tomlin for years," Spoelstra said before Miami's game against 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 distinction of having the longest-serving in hockey and baseball: The Tampa Bay Lightning's Jon Cooper was hired in 2013, and the Tampa Bay Rays' Kevin Cash was hired to manage in 2014.
Spoelstra also expressed some dismay that John Harbaugh's time with the Baltimore Ravens ended this season as well; Harbaugh was let go after 18 seasons there. Spoelstra said some of his biggest periods of growth as a coach have come after disappointing seasons, and wished that other teams had the Heat approach — where stability is valued.
“I wish I wasn’t the longest tenured," Spoelstra said. "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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
What the Constitution Means to Me Read moreWhat The Constitution Means To Me
Join us for community fun! Free antique and collectible appraisals by Clars Auction. Over 30… Read moreMillbrae Senior Showcase
Dirk van Ulden said:
Yosemite Says said:
Today's News: "6 prosecutors quit over DOJ handling of Renee Good shooting."
Rick Bonilla said:
Rick Bonilla said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.