Popovich won't return as Spurs coach

Gregg Popovich is stepping away from his longtime role as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, he announced Friday.

The 76-year-old will transition to full-time team president, a role he already served simultaneously to his head coaching duties.

"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."

The decision brings an end to Popovich's 29-year run on the bench - the longest single-team tenure of any head coach in NBA history. The Hall of Famer was on the bench for San Antonio's first five regular-season games this season but stepped away from the team after suffering a stroke Nov. 2. He informed the team in late February that he wouldn't return to the sideline for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign in order to focus on his health and recovery.

Mitch Johnson, who replaced Popovich on an interim basis during his absence, will succeed the franchise icon as San Antonio's head coach, the team confirmed. The 38-year-old went 32-45 with the team after stepping in for Popovich in November. He first joined the latter's coaching staff in 2019, a year after winning the G League championship as an assistant with the Spurs' affiliate in Austin.

Popovich ends his coaching career as the NBA's all-time wins leader with 1,422 to his name (that mark includes Johnson's victories from last season). He passed Don Nelson's 1,332 career victories in March 2022, which had stood as the record for 12 years.

"Coach Pop's extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs, and the game of basketball is profound," Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt said.

"His accolades and awards don't do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. 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 captured five championships with San Antonio. He claimed his first in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season - only his third year at the helm - and won four more within the next 15 years. He helped establish a dynasty throughout nearly three decades in San Antonio, bridging a post-David Robinson era with the emergence of a new core in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. During the quartet's run together from 2002-16, the franchise qualified for the playoffs every year and made nine trips to the conference finals.

A three-time NBA Coach of the Year, Popovich also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Games. He was an assistant on Larry Brown's staff on the 2004 USA squad that won bronze in Athens as well.