Miami – Pat Riley said Monday that he plans to coach the Miami Heat for the three remaining years on his contract, an announcement that ends months of speculation about his immediate future. He will remain in the role of team president as well.
“I will coach those out,” Riley said. “I will try to coach those out, unless somebody else makes a decision on me.”
Riley, 62, gave up coaching in 2003, then returned two years later – when Stan Van Gundy stepped down in December 2005 – and led Miami to the 2006 NBA title. But the Heat was swept out of this past season’s playoffs by the Chicago Bulls, and Riley was noncommittal for months about whether he would remain on the sideline.
After discussions with his family, Riley is staying put.
“We finally have come to the decision that this is what I love doing,” Riley said. “It also works best for us right now and so I’m just going to keep moving forward with it.”
The announcement means Riley will coach through the 2009-10 season – matching the length of Shaquille O’Neal’s contract with Miami. Dwyane Wade, the 2006 Finals MVP, can also opt out of his contract following that season. Riley’s 1,195 regular-season wins trail only Lenny Wilkens (1,332) and Don Nelson (1,232) in NBA history.
NBA
Clippers sign veteran guard Knight
The Los Angeles Clippers signed guard Brevin Knight, who averaged 9.1 points, 6.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds for the Charlotte Bobcats last season.
The Golden State Warriors have reached agreement on a buyout with center Adonal Foyle, parting ways with the 10-year veteran who rarely played last season.
The Washington Wizards signed Dominic McGuire, a forward from Fresno State selected 47th in June’s draft.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Arkansas loses receiver Monk to injury
Arkansas receiver Marcus Monk will be out four to six weeks due to a knee injury suffered last week. Monk caught 50 passes for 962 yards and a school-record 11 touchdowns last season. He also holds the school mark of 24 career touchdown receptions.
Brandon Ratcliff, an all-Mountain West Conference first-team safety his junior and senior seasons (2002-03) at New Mexico, was shot and killed when a man fired an assault rifle into a crowd gathered outside a Dallas nightclub, police said. Ratcliff was 26.
Houston offensive lineman Jerrod Butler passed out while lifting weights but was recovering at a Houston hospital. Butler, 20, lost consciousness about 9 a.m. and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was doing well in stable condition, associate athletic director Chris Burkhalter said.
FOOTNOTES
Trinidad to face Jones Jr. in return
Felix Trinidad will come out of retirement to face Roy Jones Jr. in January. The boxers have agreed to fight at 170 pounds – 10 pounds more than Trinidad has weighed for a bout, and five fewer than what Jones weighed when he beat previously undefeated Anthony Hanshaw in July.
Kirk Hinrich joined Greg Oden and Shane Battier in pulling out of the U.S. basketball training camp, and forward Nick Collison was added to the squad, leaving the Americans with 16 players as they return to Las Vegas for practice starting Wednesday.
Four men were charged with setting a fire during a prank gone awry that killed a 19-year-old Bradley University soccer player. Nicholas Mentgen, 21; Ryan Johnson, 22; David Crady, 19; and Daniel Cox, 20; were charged with two counts of aggravated arson and one count of possession of an explosive or incendiary device in the death of Sheridan “Danny” Dahlquist. Dahlquist, a sophomore, died Sunday of smoke inhalation after a fire in his bedroom at a home he shared with Mentgen, Johnson and Crady.
The NCAA granted an unprecedented waiver to Texas Tech basketball center Esmir Rizvic, allowing him to remain eligible for an additional half season. Rizvic missed the second half of last season after his eye socket was fractured by an opponent’s elbow.
The Phoenix Coyotes signed goalie Alex Auld to a one- year contract. Auld went 7-13-5 with a 3.34 goals-against average last season with the Florida Panthers.
Detroit Shock forward Kara Braxton was suspended two games without pay by the WNBA after pleading guilty to operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
A ruling by a federal appeals court cleared the way for NASCAR to prevent AT&T Inc. from featuring its logo on Jeff Burton’s No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
There have been positive drug tests at the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand, the head of the event’s doping commission said. “We can’t provide details at this point, but there have been some positive tests,” Dr. Lawrence Rink, chairman of the FISU Medical Commission, said. “The details would remain private until the appeal process is over.”
