Riley hires self to coach Heat

MIAMI — Pat Riley and Stan Van Gundy walked off the dais together Monday, then went in opposite directions.

Riley, who is Miami's general manager, packed his tailored suits and headed back to the NBA sidelines, looking to add another entry to his long and glowing coaching resume. Van Gundy simply went home.

Months after he said he wanted to reclaim more of a hands-on role with the team — a comment that prompted rampant speculation he was about to fire his former protege — Riley returned to the business of coaching. Van Gundy quit to spend more time with his family and will stay with the team in a limited capacity.

"I was happy for him when I hired him 11 years ago," Riley said. "I was happy for him when I stepped aside and gave him an opportunity that was well-deserved. And I am happy for him today, absolutely."

The 60-year-old Riley said he hasn't looked at a playbook in two years. He's probably doing that right now for tonight's game in Chicago.

"I think I know my way around a 94-by-50 court," Riley said. "I know what the hell I'm doing when I'm out there. But right now, I'm a little bit lost. So I'm going to depend a lot on the staff that we have presently. But no, I really wasn't thinking about replacements."

Riley said he spent the last six weeks trying to persuade Van Gundy to stay, and his former top assistant insisted his decision was voluntary. Players, who were not available for comment because they were traveling, were told Monday morning.

Van Gundy's job security has been scrutinized since the Heat lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to Detroit at home last June — a game where Miami's superstars, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade, were both injured.

The Heat entered the season with big ambitions, but they are just 11-10, although Miami has been hit by injuries, including a sprained ankle that sidelined O'Neal for all but three of those games.

"If I'm getting forced out, I would have gotten absolutely every dollar on my contract and walked out the door," Van Gundy said. "That's not what happened here . . . Anybody who's speculating otherwise has to do so in total disregard of the facts of the situation."

Riley came to the Heat in 1995 after winning four titles with the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, followed by a stint with the Knicks. He has won 1,110 games in 21 seasons, the third-highest victory total in NBA history.