Keith Smart, the Indiana University basketball star who had two short stints as an NBA head coach, could join the revamped Miami Heat coaching staff.
Yahoo Sports reported that Smart, 49, has had talks with the Heat, which is restructuring its bench alongside head coach Erik Spoelstra. David Fizdale, once an Atlanta Hawks assistant coach, remains Spoelstra’s top aide, with former player Juwan Howard sliding in as an assistant after a job in player development.
Smart formerly coached the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. Sources told Yahoo Sports that with the shakeup in the reassignments of Bob McAdoo and Ron Rothstein, Smart is discussing a role to help beef up the staff.
Spoelstra, with NBA star LeBron James leading the way on the court, has won two NBA titles and has two other trips to the Finals on his resume. With James gone to the Cleveland Cavaliers via free agency, the team is restructuring.
Rothstein, 71, had been nearing the end of a long coaching career and will likely move into a basketball operations job with the Heat, sources told Yahoo Sports.
Smart’s head coaching career, including a brief stay as interim coach in Cleveland in 2002-03, includes a 93-170 record. He’s been out of coaching since Sacramento let him go following a 28-54 record in 2012-13.
