Pat Riley

Miami Heat Coach Pat Riley apologized for saying in jest he would "send a Gestapo group" to the homes of former New Yorkers who live in South Florida but continue to root for the Knicks. "It was a stupid comment on my part. . . . I apologize for that," Riley said Wednesday.

Laker Coach Pat Riley will be honored as "Coach of the '80s" at the Dinner of Champions tonight at the Century Plaza Hotel, an event sponsored by the Southern California Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

I know Randy Pfund is a great coach, Mike Downey knows Randy is a great coach--so do Allan Malamud, Helene Elliott, Charles Barkley, Pat Riley, God, and even Randy himself, so if Jerry Buss doesn't know it, that's his loss and some other team's opportunity. JOHN WATTS Carpinteria

As for who will be the next coach for the Los Angeles Kings, someone who is able to get along with the media and handle star personalities, may I suggest Pat Riley. HARRIET OTTAVIANO Seal Beach

Leaving the largest contract ever offered to a basketball coach sitting on the table, Pat Riley resigned unexpectedly as coach of the New York Knicks on Thursday. He made the announcement in a prepared statement, released through a public relations firm. He informed the Knicks with a fax, apparently catching them by surprise. Contacted by the Associated Press for a comment, a Knick spokesman refused to confirm or deny the report, saying, "If and when we have anything to say, we'll say it."