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Riley to resign as Miami coach after worst season

Pat Riley will resign as coach of the Miami Heat after struggling through the worst season of his National Basketball Association career, area newspapers reported on Monday.

The Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that Riley would step down but remain as team president, a move the club would not confirm even as it announced plans for a news conference later on Monday.

Riley, 63, met with Heat owner Micky Arison over the weekend to talk about the future direction of the team, which finished a league-worst 15-67 this season, trading Shaquille O’Neal to Phoenix and watching guard Dwyane Wade struggle with nagging injuries.

The Sun-Sentinel reported that Erik Spoelstra, a Heat assistant coach, would replace Riley as the bench boss.

Riley took over for Stan Van Gundy 21 games into the 2005-2006 season and guided the Heat to an NBA title.

However this year’s Heat matched their 1989-1999 inaugural version for the worst record in club history.

Riley has a 1,210 to 694 regular-season record and five NBA titles to his credit.

Riley will be inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.
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