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. Popovich was the oldest coach in NBA history.
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.
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.