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Others besides Gregg Popovich will be the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
On Friday, the NBA franchise announced Mitch Johnson's promotion to head coach.
The decision came soon after confirming that Popovich gave up his head coaching duties and transitioned to the team's full-time basketball operations president.
Since 1994, Popovich has led the Spurs basketball game, balancing his executive role with coaching positions for 29 years.
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Assistant coach Mitch Johnson and San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Gregg Popovich competed against Utah Jazz on March 11, 2022 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. (Michael Gonzales/nbae via Getty Image)
Johnson's tenure with the Spurs spans nine years. He joined the Spurs G League branch in Austin, Texas in 2016. He has been an assistant coach of the Spurs since 2019.
Johnson is also the coach of San Antonio in the 2022 and 2023 NBA Summer Leagues. Johnson stepped into Popovich’s 77 games in the 2024-25 season as the five-time NBA champion recovered from what the team called a mild stroke.
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“Although my love and passion for the game is still my decision to be the time to play the head coach,” Popovich said in a statement Friday afternoon. “I am forever grateful to the amazing players, coaches, staff and fans who have allowed me to be the head coach of the Spurs and are excited to continue to support organizations, communities and cities that have made sense to me.”
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich plays the Utah Jazz game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on October 31, 2024 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. (Rob Gray/Imagn image)
Johnson will make an official presentation in San Antonio on Monday.
"When I took this opportunity to join the Austin Spurs nine years ago, I didn't know the opportunity was in front of me," Johnson said at the end of the regular season. "So sometimes, how your journey takes your journey is sometimes fun, and sometimes the biggest moments may come from the most unlikely attractions."
In the first half, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson watched a game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on March 25, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena. (David Reginek/Imagn image)
“We are very pleased that Mitch Johnson is our next head coach,” said Peter J. Holt, a partner at the Spurs board. “Over the organization, we have seen that Mickey has the right values, calmness and potential to bring us into the future.”
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Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said he believed the organization would do the right thing when the season ended.
"I believe in the organization ... and I believe in Mitch as the role," Wembanyama said. "So, I think we have a good tool."
Johnson played for four years at Stanford and then played in the G League and Europe.
"I'm really grateful and honored to have this incredible opportunity," Johnson said. "I'm grateful to the coaches of Pop, RC, Brian and Peter for trusting me to continue our culture and I promise to give this responsibility and make me proud of the Spurs fans."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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