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Report: San Antonio Spurs hiring Mitch Johnson to replace Gregg Popovich as head coach

Nick Profile Picby: Nick Geddes05/02/25NickGeddesNews
Mitch Johnson
David Gonzales-Imagn Images

With Gregg Popovich stepping down as head coach on Friday, the San Antonio Spurs have named Mitch Johnson as his replacement, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Johnson, a Spurs assistant since 2019, served as interim head coach this season after Popovich suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2nd.

With Johnson taking over for Popovich, San Antonio finished 34-48, 13th in the Western Conference. The Spurs lost star center Victor Wembanyama for the season in mid-February due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. The following month, All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox underwent season-ending surgery on his left pinkie finger to repair tendon damage.

Johnson, 38, started his coaching career in 2016 as an assistant for the Austin Spurs in the G League. He joined Popovich’s staff in 2019, one year after helping lead Austin to a G League Championship. Johnson played college ball at Stanford from 2005-09.

With Johnson taking over, Popovich is transitioning full-time to team president. 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 transitioning to new role with Spurs, Mitch Johnson taking over HC duties

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.

“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.”