Erik Spoelstra inks 8-year extension with Heat, becoming top-paid coach

Miami Heat head coach ErikSpoelstra has agreed to a lucrative multi-year extension that willmake him the highest-paid coach in the NBA.

It is an eight-year, $120million extension, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. It is themost money ever committed to a coach in American professionalsports history.

The 53-year-old Spoelstra isregarded by many as the best coach in the NBA, and his newextension surpasses hefty deals signed by San Antonio’s GreggPopovich (five years, $80 million) and Detroit’s Monty Williams(six years, $78.5 million).

Spoelstra, who is a two-time NBAchampion and in the top-20 all-time in career wins, has led Miamito the NBA Finals six times in 15 years as the Heat’s head coach.He has steered Miami into one of the most successful and consistentNBA teams after succeeding Heat legend Pat Riley in2008.

Spoelstra led Miami to the NBAFinals last season as a No. 8 seed. The Heat advanced to theEastern Conference Finals in three of the last fouryears.

Despite missing key playersthroughout this season, the Heat are currently 21-15, which is tiedfor the fifth-best record in a tight Eastern Conference.

With this new deal, Spoelstraand Miami are committed to each other for years to come and canfocus on trying to hang additional banners in KaseyaCenter.