"Depending on the perspective, Erik Spoelstra is either off the hot seat or on the clock.

About the only long-term clarity revealed Tuesday regarding the Miami Heat long-term coaching outlook is that Pat Riley will not be a factor.

The Riley portion of the equation came from Riley himself, with the Heat president holding an informal media session at AmericanAirlines Arena nine days after his team fell in the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks.

"No, I'm not going to do that," Riley, 66, said when asked about a potential return to the bench. "It doesn't mean that I don't have the fire, but no, we've got a great young coach here and I want to support him and hope that he can grow like I did."

Spoelstra is coming off his third season as Riley's successor. He is entering the final year of his contract, with Riley offering no indication of whether an extension might be forthcoming.

"We're going bring Erik back. From that standpoint, that's how I feel about it," Riley said. "As far as any kind of long-term situations, that has not been discussed."

Riley, in fact, was careful to avoid getting in the middle of any coaching issues, declining to discuss the blown 15-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the Finals, a key turning point in the series.

"I'm not going to answer that question," he said. "I'm not in the huddle."

Riley has been operating under an agreement with owner Micky Arison to continue in his present role as long as he wishes, having previously sold back his ownership stake in the team.

"I'm moving forward on the same basis," Riley said.

Riley stressed he will move forward with the same core that delivered the Heat within two victories of the franchise's second championship, namely with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Riley said even with the team's struggles at times during the regular season and then the Finals, and amid outside question of overlapping games of James and Wade, as well as Bosh's finesse approach, there was no consideration of moving in a different direction."