Erik Spoelstra is more than a Miami Heat legend; he's an NBA legend. He led Miami to two back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. The team's most recent trip to the NBA Finals was in 2023, an improbable run that ended against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. He might've won NBA Coach of the Year if it included the playoffs.
Believe it or not, but Spoelstra has never won the Coach of the Year award. He's the longest-tenured head coach since Gregg Popovich stepped down as head coach of the Spurs.
Spoelstra is easily one of the best coaches in the league. Players love to play for him. Opposing teams don't like playing against Spoelstra and the Heat due to his in-game adjustments and defensive schemes.
It's pretty impressive that Spoelstra has never won the award, almost more impressive than if he had won it. He doesn't set out every season to try to win COY, but maybe it could finally happen in 2026. Michael Pina thinks so, at least.
Does Erik Spoelstra have a shot to win Coach of the Year in 2026?
On The Zach Lowe Show, Pina said he's betting on Bam Adebayo to bounce back after a non-impressive 2024-25 season, and that he loves the Norman Powell addition. He said Powell fits the "no-nonsense" attitude that the Heat are known for.
Pina added that Miami's ceiling isn't another run to the NBA Finals, but that the Heat will return to being a confident team again.
It helps significantly that Miami plays in the far lesser of the two conferences. The Heat could finish the regular season in the top six, earning an automatic playoff berth without going through the Play-In Tournament. If that happens, Spolestra should undoubtedly be in the COY conversation.
There isn't a coach who is better at turning a non-contender roster into a true threat. Next season will be the Heat's first without Jimmy Butler since 2019. Tyler Herro was a first-time All-Star in 2025, while Bam is a three-time All-Star. However, Miami has been counted out because it no longer has a true star player.
Keep counting the Heat out. They're a gutsy team that has Spo as their leader. You've been warned, so don't act so surprised if they have a better season than anticipated. It would be very on-brand for Miami if Spoelstra won Coach of the Year after being overlooked.