Pat Riley was a player in the National Basketball Association.
The National Basketball Association 's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association ( NBA ) award given since the 1962 -- 63 NBA season . Pat Riley . He was named NBA Coach of the Year three times ( 1989 -- 90 , 1992 -- 93 and 1996 -- 97 , as head coach of the Lakers , New York Knicks and Heat , respectively ) .