Getty Chris Quinn handles the basketball during a 2007 game between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs.
Unless they catch lightning in a bottle and make another Cinderella run to the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat are facing the prospect of undergoing serious roster changes over the summer. And even if the club does make it to the promised land, there are definitely some areas that should still be addressed.
However, the team could also experience turnover in some other areas, too. Namely, on Erik Spoelstra‘s coaching staff, where former baller-turned-assistant Chris Quinn may find himself with an opportunity to take the helm with a rival club.
Per a report by Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the Detroit Pistons are expected to request permission from the Heat to interview Quinn as they look to find a replacement on the bench for Dwane Casey, who just transitioned into a front-office role after five years on the sidelines in the Motor City.
This isn’t the first time the 39-year-old Quinn has been in the running to fill a head-coaching vacancy in the Association. Most recently, he interviewed with the Utah Jazz last summer before the team — of which Heat legend Dwyane Wade is a minority owner — elected to hire Will Hardy away from Boston.
Heat Assistant, Rumored Pistons Coaching Candidate Chris Quinn Has Been a Fixture in South Beach
Report: Detroit Pistons will request permission to interview Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn
Before making the move to the bench at the age of just 30, Quinn played 241 games over parts of six seasons in the NBA. And his most fruitful days as a pro baller were spent with the Heat from 2006 — when he first signed as an undrafted rookie free agent — to 2009.
During that time, he averaged 5.6 points, 2.2 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per contest across 168 appearances (and 26 starts) for Coach Spo and Pat Riley before him.
He later did time with the then-New Jersey Nets, the San Antonio Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers — as well as clubs in Russia, Spain and the G League — before hanging up the hi-tops.
Quinn’s first foray into coaching came during the 2013-14 collegiate campaign when he served as an assistant at Northwestern under Chris Collins, who’s still in Evanston today. He rejoined the Heat as a member of Spoelstra’s staff the following season and has since become one of the longest-tenured assistants in the game.
Quinn Could Face Stiff Competition in Landing the Head Coaching Gig With the Pistons
As is almost always the case with head coaching vacancies in the Association, the Pistons look to be casting a wide net in their effort to secure a new play-caller for the up-and-coming squad.
On Friday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III reported that Detroit “will interview” former UConn coach and NBA vet Kevin Ollie.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee, Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and former Boston Celtics headman Ime Udoka — all of who have playing experience as well — were reported to be candidates by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski in the wake of Casey’s big move to an executive role.
The Pistons finished with a league-worst 17-65 record in 2022-23 and haven’t qualified for postseason play since Casey’s first season with the team in 2018-19.