Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra Makes History vs. Boston Celtics

It’s been a rough season for the Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, but he’s reached another milestone, climbing to 17th all-time with 785 career wins as a head coach since taking over in 2008-09.

Thanks to a 124-103 upset victory at TD Garden, Spoelstra has now passed the late Gene Shue for sole possession of 17th place, doing so in 17 seasons. Shue won 784 games over 22 campaigns at the helm of the Baltimore Bullets, Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, Washington Bullets and Los Angeles Clippers from 1966-89. A two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Shue passed away in 2022.

Spoelstra has never won a Coach of the Year, but has won a pair of titles as a head coach and won one as an assistant in 2006. Since taking over for Pat Riley, he’s grown into won of the league’s most highly respected tacticians and is fourth among active head coaches behind all-time winningest coach Gregg Popovich (1,412), Doc Rivers (1,156) and Rick Carlisle (988). San Antonio’s Popovich has been on leave since suffering a stroke in the season’s opening month.

Spoelstra will suffer through just his third losing season unless Miami runs the table the rest of the way, but has his team on the longest win streak in the Eastern Conference after taking down Boston. Only Oklahoma City (10) has a longer current run. 

Ironically, Spoelstra broke the record with one of his best performances, finally riding Kyle Anderson in key second-half stretches and being rewarded with 19 points off the bench. Another midseason acquisition, Davion Mitchell, was enormous with 13 points and seven assists in helping hold off a Celtics second-half rally. Rookies Kel’el Ware and Pelle Larsson started, as did Alec Burks, while usual starters Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson were again out of the mix.

Miami was a double-digit underdog but won its sixth straight game and is now 35-41. Although a Southeast Division title remains unlikely, this run has kept them alive and Spoelstra has once again demonstrated he’s among the NBA’s top coaches by keeping the team together despite injuries and inconsistency. 

Long-time Phoenix Suns head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, who also coached five other teams, won 832 games over 21 seasons and is up next for Spoelstra to catch on the all-time list. Jack Ramsay, who coached the Portland Trail Blazers to their only championship in addition to three other teams, is 15th with 864 victories over 21 seasons. Spoelstra attended the University of Portland and considers Ramsay one of the all-time greats. 

If he remains in the head seat and produces a pair of winning seasons, Spoelstra would pass Ramsay for 15th in the back end of 2026-27.

Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com