Miami Heat's Pat Riley Weighs in on Gregg Popovich's Move to Front Office

Gregg Popovich officially hung up the coaching whistle earlier this week, taking over the team president role with the San Antonio Spurs.

Miami Heat president Pat Riley shared his thoughts about his 76-year-old former rival, who manned the Spurs’ sideline from 1996 until late October of last year. 

“I’ve reached out to him. I love him dearly. I wish him nothing but the best,” Riley said at his end-of-the-season press conference. “He’s going to be a great president. He’s beloved not only in San Antonio, but throughout the league, by players. That’s very unique.”

Health concerns were the main reason Popovich, the NBA’s winningest head coach and only man to top the 1,400-win mark, ultimately stepped down. Popovich has recovered from a stroke that ended his coaching career prematurely after just a few games this past season, handing the reins over to successor Mitch Johnson and walking out of his May 2 press conference officially announcing his retirement from the coaching box wearing a shirt that read, “el jefe,” which is Spanish for “the boss.”

Flanked by former stars Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, Popovich thanked everyone associated with San Antonio and intends to compete for championships in his new role with back-to-back Rookie of the Year recipients Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle leading the way.

Riley last coached in 2008, also initially stepping down to focus on health due to hip and knee issues. He was originally replaced on an interim basis by assistant Ron Rothstein before eventually selecting Erik Spoelstra as his successor. Riley, who turned 80 years old on March 20, deflected questions on whether the Miami Heat have any front office succession plan in place.

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