Yeah...........Uncle Pat is back in da HEAT
Van Gundy quits as coach; Riley to take overBY MICHELLE KAUFMAN
[email protected]Stan Van Gundy, saying ''I love coaching, but I love my family more,'' stepped down as Heat head coach Monday morning and will be replaced by team president and former coach Pat Riley.Van Gundy, who took over for Riley just as abruptly before the 2003-04 season, will remain with the club as a special assistant, but he said he couldn't bear to be away from his wife and four children anymore. He insisted his decision was voluntary and he was not forced out. The Heat is 11-10, and there has been speculation since the summer that Riley would take a more active role in day-to-day operations.
''I made this decision for one reason, and one reason only: I love my family,'' Van Gundy said at a news conference attended by Riley and team owner Micky Arison. ''I have a wonderful wife and four young kids, and they're doing fine without me, but I need them. I need some time to be with them.''
Van Gundy said he had marked on his calendar the days he would get to see his family during the 170-day season, and it was 49. ''That's not enough,'' he said. ''Priorities change over time. It grew to the point of being absolutely painful [to get on a plane] . . . I felt I was running out of time with them.
''My daughter is 14, so I've got only four more years with her before she goes off to college. I'm not willing to sacrifice any more of those four years. My son was in the stands with two friends and their dads, and before the game I waved at them and thought, 'I want to be up there more than I want to be down here.''
Van Gundy and his wife, Kim, have four children - Shannon (14), Michael (11), Alison (9) and Kelly (6).
He said he knows people won't believe him and will speculate he was forced out.
''I can't believe so many people have a hard time believing that someone would want to be with their family, but that's the truth,'' Van Gundy said. ''I'm not a total idiot. If I'm getting forced out I would have gotten every dollar on my contract and gotten out of here. That's not the case.''
Riley, who returns to the bench for tonight's game at Chicago, said Van Gundy expressed reservations about the job three games into the season. Riley notified Arison, who suggested they make the coaching change right away, but Riley said it would be best to give Van Gundy time to think it over.
''I was very, very, very, very happy for Stan when he took over as coach, he did it extraordinarily well, and I am happy for him today,'' said Riley, his eyes welling with tears. ''I am happy that he has chosen Kim, Shannon, Michael, Alison and Kelly.''
Riley said he never considered not stepping in when it was certain Van Gundy was stepping down.
''I have an obligation to this franchise and to [owner] Micky [Arison] and to this team and the players I traded for and right now, at this moment, I think I'm the best person to do that,'' Riley said. ''But I'm proud of what Stan has done. This was not my intention.''
Van Gundy told the team of his decision at 9:30 Monday morning, before it left for Chicago. Asked why he didn't quit before the season, or wait until after, Van Gundy said: ''I know the timing stinks, and I regret the timing, but it started to hit me hard. Priorities change with time.''
Van Gundy led the Heat to the best record in the Eastern conference last season, but the team struggled through its first 21 games this year, 18 without star center Shaquille O'Neal, who was recovering from an ankle injury.
The Heat improved to 11-10 Sunday night with an overtime victory over the Washington Wizards. O'Neal, who returned to the lineup Sunday and sent the game into overtime with a clutch free throw, seemed far from satisfied. He told a sideline reporter after the game that he felt the Heat should have won the game by 15 or 20 and that ''we have to step it up in all areas.''
Riley chose Van Gundy, his longtime assistant, as his successor a little more than two years ago, when he stepped down suddenly as coach after eight seasons. During the summer, there were rumors Riley was going to replace Van Gundy as coach after he suggested he would take ''a larger role'' in day-to-day operations this season.
Riley and Van Gundy met for four hours in July, and Van Gundy came out feeling confident he would remain head coach.
Riley has won 1,100 games in 21 seasons as a head coach and won NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. He also coached the New York Knicks (1991-95).
''Last night, when we met about this, Kim told me, 'Thank you for giving me back my husband,'' Riley said. ''And Chris [Riley's wife] joked, 'Thanks for taking mine away.''
