Tim Hardaway Sr. said Thursday that he is leaving his job as a scout for the Miami Heat to join Stan Van Gundy’s coaching staff as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.
Tim Hardaway Sr. has been with the Miami Heat organization for a long time. He played for the Heat for five years and recently had his number 10 jersey retired by them. He has kept a close relationship with Pat Riley and the front office. However, an assistant coaching job is a major leap for Hardaway.
“I’m ecstatic,” Hardaway told Barry Jackson. “It’s something I wanted to do. It’s all about teaching. I’m good at teaching and understanding players.”
Stan Van Gundy was Tim Hardaway’s assistant coach during his time with the Heat. “Stan and I have a great rapport. [Heat president] Pat Riley said it’s a great thing for me and he’s happy for me.”
Hardaway Sr. has been a huge member of the Heat community as well. He has served as a community and corporate liaison for the Heat for the past three years. Therefore, it makes his departure from Miami a difficult one.
“It’s going to be hard, going to be sad [to leave the Heat],” Hardaway said. “I am always a Heat family guy. There will always be a big place in my heart for the Heat, Micky Arison, Pat Riley. We helped each other in many ways. Great people. I will miss them. It’s bittersweet.”
Hardaway will join Brendan Malone, Charles Klask, Bob Beyer, and Malik Allen on Van Gundy’s staff. In other Detroit news, there have been rumors that Van Gundy plans to hire Quentin Richardson in a player development/mentoring staff job for the Pistons.