Who is replacing Gregg Popovich as Spurs’ next coach? NBA insider reveals San Antonio’s next HC

On Friday, after the San Antonio Spurs announced that coach Gregg Popovich was retiring from coaching and transitioning to a front office role as president of basketball operations, the team named interim coach Mitch Johnson as their next head coach.

ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news, reporting that Johnson, who had been an assistant with the Spurs since 2019 and led the team to a 32-45 record after taking over for Popovich in November, has signed a deal to become the team’s new head coach.

News of Popovich stepping aside from coaching emerged early Friday morning, with ESPN reporting that Popovich was committing to transitioning from coaching to a front office role.

At the time, there was some speculation regarding who would succeed the Hall of Famer at the helm of the franchise, with some fans wondering whether perhaps former San Antonio assistant Becky Hammon would part ways with the Las Vegas Aces and return to the team.

Johnson, who had previously spent time as an assistant with San Antonio’s G League affiliate from 2016-2019, helping lead the team to a G League title in 2018, now becomes the 19th coach in team history.

“It’s time to step away,” – Gregg Popovich opens up on difficult decision to walk away from coaching the San Antonio Spurs

Over the past few months there has been tons of speculation regarding Gregg Popovich’s future as the coach of the San Antonio Spurs. Back in November, early on in the 2024-25 season, the Hall of Famer suffered a mild stroke that forced him to take a step back from coaching.

While reports suggested that Pop was progressing well in his recovery, he then wound up having another medical emergency more recently after briefly fainting while dining out at a restaurant.

On Friday, Popovich released a statement after announcing that he was stepping down as coach of the team, explaining that while he’s still passionate about the game, he believes it’s time to step away from coaching:

“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 head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

According to ESPN’s report, Pop has been active in San Antonio’s early offseason dealings, and has been on-hand at the team’s practice facility over the past few days.

As president of basketball operations, the expectation is that he will be heavily involved in the team day-to-day.

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Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he’s not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Evan Bell