Gregg Popovich, the NBA’s all-time wins leader, steps down as San Antonio Spurs head coach after 29 seasons

Gregg Popovich, the winningest coach in the NBA, is stepping down as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs after nearly three decades, the team announced on Friday.

“While my love and passion for this 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.”

Popovich will remain as team president. Mitch Johnson was promoted to head coach.

During his tenure as head coach, Popovich, 76, led the team to five NBA championships, became the league’s all-time wins leader and earned an induction into the 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 in a statement. “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.”

Popovich missed all but five games this season after having a stroke at the team’s arena on Nov. 2, 2024. He has not spoken publicly since, though he had addressed his team at least once and released a statement in late March saying he hoped to return to coaching.

Popovich joined the Spurs in the summer of 1988 as an assistant coach to then-head coach Larry Brown. Before that, he spent two seasons, from 1992-1994, as an assistant coach for Don Nelson with the Golden State Warriors.

In his role as general manager of the Spurs, Popovich made the move to fire coach Bob Hill and promote himself to that job on Dec. 10, 1996.

“A change in direction was necessary,” Popovich said that day.

The Spurs hadn’t changed direction again since.

Popovich’s career ends with a record of 1,422-869, which does include the 77 games — 32 wins and 45 losses — that were coached by Spurs assistant Johnson this season. He also won 170 playoff games with the Spurs, the most by any coach with any one team and the third-most overall behind only Phil Jackson’s 229 and Pat Riley’s 171.

“Gregg Popovich’s sustained success as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs is incomparable. … There are few people in the basketball community as beloved and revered as Coach Pop,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

Popovich also served as coach for Team USA, leading them to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Johnson had been the acting coach for the final 77 games the Spurs played this season. He will be formally introduced on Monday.

“We are thrilled for Mitch Johnson to be our next head coach,” Holt said. “Throughout his decade in the organization, we have seen that Mitch has the right values, poise and potential to lead us into the future.”