Sources — Popovich done coaching Spurs, staying in front office
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, sources told ESPN on Friday.
Popovich, 76, has been in the Spurs’ front office since May 1994 and had served as head coach since the 1996-1997 season. The legendary coach is the NBA’s career wins leader with 1,422 regular-season victories and guided the Spurs to five NBA championships. Popovich 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.
Popovich suffered a mild stroke Nov. 2 and did not return during the season. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson took over on an interim basis and led San Antonio to a record of 31-45 under his watch.
Popovich has been involved throughout the Spurs’ offseason and will continue to be a vital member of the franchise’s day-to-day operations, sources said.
Popovich has even been present in the Spurs’ facility in recent days, and as much as he wanted to return to his place on the sidelines, he came to the conclusion that he no longer could move forward with the taxing grind of being an NBA head coach, sources said. He has been making steady progress with his health in recovery from the November stroke, sources added.
Popovich began his Spurs career as an assistant to Larry Brown in 1988, serving in that role for four seasons before a brief stint under Nelson with the Golden State Warriors. He has been the Spurs head coach since December 1996, when 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 1998-2019, including winning at least 50 games in 18 straight campaigns.
He ranks third all-time in career coaching playoff wins, and is one of five coaches ever 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 on April 15 after a medical incident at a local San Antonio restaurant, but returned home in the days after and has been feeling much better.
Popovich had been 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 State 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.
Source: espn.com