By ROY MEDINA
abs-cbnNEWS.com

Another Filipino has again made it to the A-list.

Erik Spoelstra, however, will not be belting out tunes in the "American Idol" or "Britain's Got Talent."

Instead, Spoelstra, 37, will take the head coaching job of the Miami Heat club in the National Basketball Association.

Spoestra, an assistant coach of the Heat, was appointed chief following the resignation of Pat Riley on Tuesday.

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"I believe Erik Spoelstra is one of the most talented young coaches in a long time," Riley told a news conference.

"The last five years I've been a little bit in conflict with whether or not I wanted to (coach)," said the 63-year-old who had also coached the Los Angeles Lakers to four NBA titles, led the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals and steered the Heat to the championship in 2006.

Despite his resignation, Riley said he will continue his duties as Heat president. "I am very excited about moving forward in building this franchise back to where we can all be proud of it."

Reuters reported that Spoelstra spent two years as a player-coach for Tus Herten in the German professional league following his spell at the University of Portland.

He is the son of Jon Spoelstra, a long-time NBA executive who helped run the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and New Jersey Nets.

"I'm fortunate I've had the opportunity to work for a great leader, a Hall of Fame coach and someone who has been an incredible mentor," said Spoelstra, who joined the Heat as the team's video coordinator 13 years ago.

Nearly played in the PBA

Spoelstra is proud of his Filipino roots.

He said he still has relatives in the Philippines and family in the US.

However, the new Heat coach said he has yet to return to his mother's homeland since he was three.

Spoelstra also admitted he nearly came home to the Philippines after finishing with a degree from the Unviersity of Portland.

"Looking back I wish I had the opportunity to play in the PBA," he told ABS-CBN's "Balitang America" during a previous interview.

Asked if there are immediate plans of visiting the Philippines, Spoelstra said he wants to bring NBA-style coaching to develop Philippine basketball. With Reuters