Report: Gregg Popovich stepping down as head coach of San Antonio Spurs

Gregg Popovich will not return as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Popovich, away from the team since suffering a mild stroke on Nov. 2nd, is transitioning full-time to team president.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said. “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.”

Charania said that Popovich will remain involved in San Antonio’s basketball operations. Popovich wanted to return to coaching, but the “taxing nature of being an NBA coach” led him to step down.

“Gregg Popovich has been in the Spurs’ facility the past few days,” Charania said on First Take. “As I reported, he will still be involved, very hands-on and a vital member of their day-to-day operation. From my understanding, as much as Gregg Popovich wanted to continue to coach, he wanted to be back on the sidelines really badly. … The conclusion he came to was that it would be too taxing for him. The NBA grind as a head coach is a difficult one, and he is someone that is recovering from the stroke in November.

“He’s making strides — on a human level, that’s very important. He’s doing much better; he’s in a good place. He is showing up to the facility, he is a part of what’s going on with the Spurs every single day [and] he will continue to be. … As much as he pushed and wanted to return, the conclusion was just the taxing nature of being an NBA coach was just something that was not going to be sustainable for him.”

Gregg Popovich moving into front office role with Spurs after Hall of Fame coaching career

Popovich became head coach of the Spurs in 1996. He is the winningest coach in NBA history (1,422 wins) and a five-time NBA champion. Popovich is a three-time NBA Coach of the Year.

Popovich was Team USA’s head coach in 2020, leading the United States to a Gold Medal. On July 8, 2023, Popovich signed a five-year contract extension, keeping him with the Spurs through the 2027–28 season. Last year, Popovich was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

“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.”

With Popovich stepping away to focus on his health, assistant Mitch Johnson served as interim head coach this season. San Antonio finished 34-48, 13th in the Western Conference.