Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich will no longer be head coach of the San Antonio Spurs and is transitioning to a full-time role as the team’s president of basketball operations, the team announced Friday.
Mitch Johnson, who took over for Popovich after he suffered a mild stroke in November, will take over head coaching duties on a permanent basis, sources told ESPN.
Johnson led San Antonio to a 31-45 record in Popovich’s absence.
Popovich has been involved with the team and present at San Antonio’s facility in recent days, and will continue to be a vital member of the franchise’s day-to-day operations, sources said. As much as he wanted to return to his place on the sideline, he came to the conclusion that he no longer could move forward with the taxing grind of being an NBA head coach. He has been making steady progress with his health in recovery from the November stroke, sources added.
“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a statement. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”
Johnson spent the past decade as an assistant with the Spurs organization. After a standout collegiate career at Stanford, he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate and went onto play professionally for three years in the G League and abroad. He then joined the Spurs as an assistant coach for the team’s Austin G League team in 2016.
By choosing Johnson as the new coach, the Spurs maintain the continuity and through line laid out by Popovich and CEO RC Buford, as well as general manager Brian Wright, who was hired the same 2016 offseason as Johnson. All along, the Spurs brass had evaluated Johnson, who gained tremendous support from the franchise’s top officials and players.
Popovich, 76, began his Spurs career as an assistant coach under Larry Brown in 1988, serving in that role for four seasons before a brief stint under Nelson with the Golden State Warriors. He joined San Antonio’s front office in 1994 and took over as head coach in December 1996, when as general manager, he fired Bob Hill after a 3-15 start and took over on the bench. After San Antonio missed the playoffs that season and landed the No. 1 pick, taking Tim Duncan, Popovich led the Spurs to 22 consecutive playoff seasons from 1998 to 2019, including winning at least 50 games in 18 straight campaigns.
The legendary coach is the NBA’s career wins leader with 1,422 regular-season victories and guided the team to five NBA championships. He is also a three-time NBA Coach of the Year award winner, tied with Don Nelson and Pat Riley for the most in league history. He ranks third in career playoff wins as a coach and is one of five coaches to win at least five titles, along with Phil Jackson (11), Red Auerbach (nine), John Kundla (five) and Riley (five).
Popovich is credited as a pillar of the Spurs, partnering with Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard across a dynasty era of championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
Popovich had an emotional meeting with Spurs players Feb. 27, and he issued a statement at that time that he wouldn’t be returning this season but hoped to return in the future. He was hospitalized April 15 after a medical incident at a San Antonio restaurant, but he returned home within days and reportedly has been feeling much better.
Popovich was the oldest coach in NBA history. He agreed to a five-year contract extension with the team in 2023. He also served as the head coach of the United States men’s national basketball team for the 2019 FIBA World Championships and the Tokyo Olympics, where the U.S. won its fourth consecutive gold medal.
With Popovich stepping aside as coach, the title of longest-tenured active NBA head coach falls to Erik Spoelstra, who has led the Miami Heat since the 2008-09 season. Spoelstra and Popovich faced off in back-to-back NBA Finals in 2013 and 2014, each winning once. The next-longest-tenured coach is Steve Kerr, who won the last two of his five championships as a player under Popovich before embarking on a successful coaching career with the Warriors in 2014.
