Patrick James "Pat" Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, and a former coach and player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995, a position that enabled him to serve as their de facto general manager and as their head coach in two separate tenures (1995 through 2003, and 2005 through 2008).Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams and an assistant coach to another. He was named NBA Coach of the Year three times (1989–90, 1992–93 and 1996–97, as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Miami Heat, respectively). He was head coach of an NBA All-Star Game team nine times: eight times with the Western Conference team (1982, 1983, 1985–1990, all as head coach of the Lakers) and once with the Eastern team (1993, as head coach of the Knicks). In 1996 he was named one of the 10 Greatest Coaches in the NBA history. As a player, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers' championship team in 1972. Riley most recently won the 2012 and 2013 NBA championships with the Miami Heat as their team president. He is the first North American sports figure to win a championship as a player, coach (both assistant and head), and executive. He received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the NBA Coaches Association on June 20, 2012.
Early in the 1981 season, Paul Westhead was fired and Riley then elevated to the head coaching position, where he stayed until the 1989-1990 season. Won four NBA titles in eight trips to the Finals.
First job with the Lakers was as broadcaster alongside the legendary Chick Hearn. In 1979, six games into the season, then-Laker coach Jack McKinney was seriously injured in a bicycle accident. Assistant Paul Westhead was promoted to head coach and hired Riley out of the broadcast booth to be an assistant.
Played college basketball at the University of Kentucky under the legendary Adolph Rupp.
Played eight NBA seasons with the San Diego (now Houston) Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns.
Only player (who wasnt a former Boston Celtic) to play for an NBA championship team (1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers) and later coach the same team to an NBA championship, winning titles in 1981-1982, 1984-1985, 1986-1987, and 1987-1988.
Days prior to the start of the 2003-2004 NBA season he stepped down as Head Coach of the Miami Heat. However he remained with the team as President. He returned to the coaching job near the beginning of the 2005-2006 season, and eventually led the Heat to their first NBA Title.
Has an adopted son, James Patrick Riley.
Was not the first choice to be Lakers head coach after Paul Westhead was fired. Early in the 1981-1982 season, when the Lakers were struggling and Magic Johnson wasnt happy, owner Jerry Buss fired Westhead and, at an ensuing press conference, named then-general manager Jerry West head coach. West responded by saying, "Like hell!" Buss then turned to Riley, then an assistant, and said "Do you want the job?" Riley only agreed to take the job if West would sit at the bench for a few games until he felt comfortable. The rest, of course, is history.
After Stan Van Gundy resigned from coaching the Miami Heat for personal reasons in December 2005, Riley returned as the teams head coach. Speculation circulated that Van Gundy was forced out and that Riley had always wanted to return to coaching the team.
Coined the phrase "three-peat". Actually has the phrase trademarked and charges sports teams a fee if they want to use it.
Has coached some of the best centers in the NBA: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Patrick Ewing , Alonzo Mourning , and Shaquille ONeal. Riley also played with Wilt Chamberlain , another great center, on the Lakers.
Is a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen.
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2008.
Only coach in NBA history to replace another coach in mid-season and coach that team to the NBA championship. He accomplished this twice, with the Lakers in 1981-1982 and the Miami Heat in 2005-2006.
He, Phil Jackson , and Alex Hannum are the only coaches in NBA history to coach two different teams to NBA championships.
Only coach in NBA history to take three different teams to the NBA Finals.
Was a starter on the University of Kentucky team that lost to Texas Western (now Texas-El Paso) in the historic NCAA final in 1966.
Appeared in an infomercial, hosted by Anthony Robbins and Tom Selleck , for "The Tony Robbins Ultimate Edge" system.
(December 2005) Head coach of the NBAs Miami Heat
When a great team loses through complacency, it will constantly search for new and more intricate explanations to explain away defeat. After a while it becomes more innovative in thinking up how to lose than thinnking up how to win.
Look for your choices pick the best one then go with it.
If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.
Great effort springs naturally from great attitude.
There can only be one state of mind as you approach any profound test; total concentration, a spirit of togetherness, and strength.
Look for your choices, pick the best one, then go with it.
To have long term success as a coach or in any position of leadership, you have to be obsessed in some way.
