Miami Heat assistant coaches are making contract noise, but there is one who’s also making future head coaching noise.
Top Miami Heat Assistant Has Head Coaching Future In His Sights
NBA’s Bright, Young Assistants Are Plenty
A handful of NBA assistant coaches are making substantial contributions to their teams. Some of those names may be unfamiliar to the average NBA viewer, like Kevin Young with the Phoenix Suns or Sam Cassell with the Boston Celtics. Even lesser-known names like David Adelman of the Denver Nuggets or recent Brooklyn Nets head coaching hire Jordi Fernandez, who came from the Sacramento Kings. The NBA is ripe with some of the youngest and brightest assistant coaches. One aspect they all have in common? Leading their own teams, of course. Another one of these experienced and intelligent names is Miami Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn.
Quinn’s NBA Start Came With the Heat
Quinn’s Miami Heat assistant coaching career started as a player for the Heat. Miami signed him on a partially guaranteed contract—he went undrafted in 2006. After four years as a rotational player, Quinn’s time as a Heat player ended in 2010. He spent time bouncing around the league before heading overseas. He played in Spain and Russia before returning to the NBA as member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013.
It wasn’t long before Chris Quinn entered the coaching ranks with the same team that gave him his first playing opportunity, the Miami Heat. He reunited with the team in 2014 and coached their Summer League squad in 2017. Since then, as head coach Erik Spoelstra’s top assistant, he’s been on a team that has made it to the NBA Finals twice and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022. Working alongside one of the top three NBA head coaches in the league undoubtedly has played an integral role in setting Quinn up for the attention he is receiving now as a potential head coaching candidate. Even Jimmy Butler has Quinn’s back when he publicly stated, “He’s going to be a head coach one day very, very soon.”
Quinn Should Continue To Be A Name In the Running For Vacancies
This year is not Quinn’s first stab at running for open head coaching vacancies. He has previously interviewed for teams like the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards. Currently, his name is linked to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Prior to hiring former Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee, the Charlotte Hornets were also looking at Quinn.
Gleaning Everything He Can From the Miami Heat While He Still Can
As with the aforementioned assistant coaches I alluded to earlier, Quinn’s time will come, if not this year. In the meantime, as one of the Miami Heat’s top assistants, it’s safe to assume that Quinn is content where he is now. The privilege learning from Coach Spoelstra is a gift many of the league’s assistant coaches would dream of. Not to mention, what better organization to prepare oneself under than the Miami Heat?
Quinn’s head coaching chances are aided by his leadership role for an organization that stands mightily on its unique culture. Known as a coaching genius in his own right and Coach Spoelstra’s Mini-Me, Quinn’s leadership acumen and coaching abilities are now assuredly in the spotlight. To reiterate Jimmy Butler’s notion, Quinn will get his break; it’s just a matter of time.
