Houston's Mike D'Antoni, Miami's Erik Spoelstra share inaugural NBCA coach of the year award

Mike D'Antoni of the Houston Rockets and Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat are the co-recipients of the inaugural Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced Sunday.

The award is named for the longtime executive director of the NBCA who died earlier this year. It recognizes NBA head coaches who help guide their players to a higher level of performance on the court and shows outstanding service and dedication to the community off the court.

The league's 30 head coaches are the only voters for the NBCA award.

"Congratulations to Mike and Erik on their outstanding work this year," Dallas Mavericks coach and NBCA president Rick Carlisle said in the press release. "And somewhere up above our good friend Michael Goldberg is very proud."

Under D'Antoni, the Rockets finished the 2016-2017 regular season with 55 wins -- the third-best overall record in the NBA.

Spoelstra's Heat finished this season with 41 wins and a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, missing the playoffs on a tie-breaker with the Chicago Bulls. The Heat were 11-30 at the mid-point mark but had a 30-11 slate to finish out the season.

The Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award trophy will be presented to both of the winners at the NBCA annual meeting of head coaches in September.

A media panel will vote separately for the Red Auerbach Trophy as the NBA's Coach of the Year, which will be announced on June 26 at the first annual NBA Awards Show in New York.