The Heat have made a historic commitment to head coach Erik Spoelstra.
On Tuesday, Jan. 9, the franchise announced that Spoelstra had signed a contract extension to remain with the organization. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski would later report that Spoelstra's extension is for eight years and worth more than $120 million — the most committed money in North American coaching history.
Spoelstra, who was hired as Miami's head coach before the 2008-09 season, has been with the organization since 1995. In 16 years at the helm, Spoelstra has led the Heat to six NBA Finals appearances and two NBA titles. He is now set to lead the franchise well into the next decade.
Here is how Spoelstra's historic deal measures up with some of his peers in the NBA.
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Who are the highest-paid head coaches in the NBA?
While Spoelstra's deal is record-breaking due to its overall figure, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has the highest annual figure of all NBA head coaches.
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Popovich signed a five-year, $80 million contract extension with the Spurs. Popovich, 74, is also San Antonio's president of basketball operations and has the possibility of fulfilling his contract through his executive role should he step down as head coach, per ESPN's Andrew Lopez.
(Salary figures are from an earlier version of this list, updated with Popovich's figure. It does not account for Spoelstra's extension as it's unclear how it impacts his existing contract.)
| Coach | Average annual salary | |
| 1. | Gregg Popovich | $16 million |
| 2. | Monty Williams | $13.08 million |
| 3. | Steve Kerr | $9.5 million |
| 4. | Erik Spoelstra | $8.5 million |
Spoelstra's average annual salary when his extension begins will be $15 million.
Longest-tenured NBA coaches
Popovich, who has been on the sideline in San Antonio for nearly 30 years, is the longest-tenured head coach in the NBA. Spoelstra is a distant second thanks to his 16 years leading the Heat while Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is the only other active head coach that has led the same team for 10-plus years.
| Coach | Seasons | First season with team | |
| 1. | Gregg Popovich | 28 | 1996-97 (Spurs) |
| 2. | Erik Spoelstra | 16 | 2008-09 (Heat) |
| 3. | Steve Kerr | 10 | 2014-15 (Warriors) |
| 4. | Michael Malone | 9 | 2015-16 (Nuggets) |
| 5. | Taylor Jenkins | 5 | 2019-20 (Grizzlies) |
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Full list of NBA head coaches
Here are the coaches for all 30 NBA teams:
| Team | Coach |
| Atlanta Hawks | Quin Snyder |
| Boston Celtics | Joe Mazzulla |
| Brooklyn Nets | Jacque Vaughn |
| Charlotte Hornets | Steve Clifford |
| Chicago Bulls | Billy Donovan |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | J.B. Bickerstaff |
| Dallas Mavericks | Jason Kidd |
| Denver Nuggets | Michael Malone |
| Detroit Pistons | Monty Williams |
| Golden State Warriors | Steve Kerr |
| Houston Rockets | Ime Udoka |
| Indiana Pacers | Rick Carlisle |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Tyronn Lue |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Darvin Ham |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Taylor Jenkins |
| Miami Heat | Erik Spoelstra |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Adrian Griffin |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Chris Finch |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Willie Green |
| New York Knicks | Tom Thibodeau |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Mark Daigneault |
| Orlando Magic | Jamahl Mosley |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Nick Nurse |
| Phoenix Suns | Frank Vogel |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Chauncey Billups |
| Sacramento Kings | Mike Brown |
| San Antonio Spurs | Gregg Popovich |
| Toronto Raptors | Darko Rajakovic |
| Utah Jazz | Will Hardy |
| Washington Wizards | Wes Unseld Jr. |