For the majority of this season, Gregg Popovich was away from the San Antonio Spurs due to medical reasons. On Friday afternoon, new developments emerged of the legendary coach’s latest career decision.
Popovich originally had intentions of returning to his coaching duties next year, but that is no longer the case. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that he is stepping down from this position. However, Popovich is not fully retiring. Instead, he’ll be fully transitioning to a role as Team President of the Spurs.
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In his announcement of stepping down as head coach, Popovich touched on how it is finally time for him to step back and help the organization in other ways.
“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach. I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs ehad coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, communiyt and city that are so meaningful to me.”
Gregg Popovich was the NBA’s longest-tenured head coach by a wide margin, but now his tenure has officially reached its end. He first took the position with the Spurs back in 1996, delivering the organization five championships during his two-decade-plus long run.
Popovich has been a pillar for the Spurs organization for some time, and now the 76-year-old will move to a more behind-the-scenes role.
Mitch Johnson expected to be named Spurs head coach amid Gregg Popovich news
While it’s incredibly big shoes to fill, the Spurs’ coaching job is still a highly enticing one. That said, there is already expectations on who will be Gregg Popovich’s replacement.
When Popovich had to depart from the team due to medical reasons, assistant coach Mitch was tasked with leading the charge. San Antonio was on track to be a playoff team under his watch, but things took a turn for the worst after the All-Star break. Even with the addition of De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs were left drastically shorthanded when Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the season due to a blood clot.
In light of how he handled the transition this season, the Spurs seem ready to reward Johnson for his hard work. Reports quickly emerged Friday that he is expected to replace Gregg Popovich as head coach of the Spurs.
With a new star duo of Wembanayam and Fox, Johnson will be tasked with ushering in a new era of the Spurs franchise.
alt=”Kevin McCormick” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Kevin McCormick
