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Legendary Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has coached his last game.
Popovich will be stepping down as San Antonio’s head coach and will transition into a full-time role as the team’s president of basketball operations, the Spurs announced Friday.
“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 posted by the Spurs. “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.”
Interim coach Mitch Johnson has been promoted to replace Popovich, according to ESPN.
Popovich is a Basketball Hall of Famer and the NBA’s all-time winningest coach.
He joined the organization as an assistant in 1988 and led San Antonio to five championships in 29 seasons as head coach. His five championships came in six appearances, as San Antonio reached the finals in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013 and 2014. The 2013 series against the LeBron James-led Heat was the lone runner-up finish.
“Coach pop’s extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound. His accolades and awards don’t do justice to the impact he has had on so many people,” said Chairman of Spurs Sports & Entertainment Peter J. Holt. “He is truly one-of-one as a person, leader and coach. Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.”
Popovich is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, and had the pleasure of coaching legends such as David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. He then struck gold in the 2023 draft lottery when the Spurs were awarded the first pick and selected Victor Wembanyama.
Popovich’s move into San Antonio’s front office comes after the 76-year-old stepped away from coaching the team in February as he recovered from suffering a stroke in November.
He then made headlines with another health scare just weeks ago after he fainted in a restaurant and had to be taken away in an ambulance.
Johnson is now tasked with being the winningest coach’s successor.
The Spurs went 10-18 down the stretch this season under Johnson’s tutelage as he served as the interim head coach in Popovich’s absence.
