Gregg Popovich has been the face of the San Antonio Spurs for three decades. You can’t tell the tale of the NBA without highlighting Popovich’s success in San Antonio with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. The NBA world as a whole wants to see Popovich back on the court again, a goal he too hopes can become true after suffering a mild stroke early in the 2024-25 season.
Before the team’s sixth game this year against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Popovich suffered a concerning medical episode and was immediately rushed for care. Lead assistant Mitch Johnson was named the acting coach of the team in the legend’s absence, and the Spurs made Johnson the full interim head coach once it was revealed that Popovich was not going to be returning this year.
Will Popovich be back with the Spurs for the 2025-26 season?
At this time, there is no clarity as to whether Popovich will be back on the sidelines next season. Although that remains his goal, Popovich continues to rehab from his stroke. The good news is that he is ahead of schedule and progressing faster than many who have dealt with similar strokes.
Even with the uncertainty surrounding Popovich, the Spurs have remained patient and are allowing their long-time coach to take everything at his own pace. This has been the message from the franchise over the last several years, especially regarding the 76-year-old’s eventual retirement plans.
When Popovich is ready to retire, it will be on his terms. The organization has always held this ideology, and that has not changed since Popovich’s stroke at the start of the 2024-25 season.
“It’s Pop’s decision,” one person close to the Spurs’ situation told ESPN. “He’s earned that.”
Popovich is the NBA’s all-time winningest head coach and delivered five championships to San Antonio. Between coaching on the sidelines and working in the front office to help assemble his championship rosters, Popovich has always been at the forefront of this organization’s success.
That is why the Spurs aren’t prepared to make any decisions until he is ready to do so.
Spurs plans for Gregg Popovich’s eventual retirement
The Spurs are with Popovich every step of the way in his recovery process. Johnson has done a great job of filling Popovich’s shoes this season, aiding in the development of one of the youngest core groups in the league with a ton of potential.
Whether Popovich misses the start of the 2025-26 season or not, the Spurs will continue to push forward with their long-time head coach until he is ready to decide about his future with the organization. That has been the mindset in San Antonio for years, and that thinking has not changed due to the head coach’s health issues.
With Johnson stepping up for the entire season, he now appears to be the obvious successor for Popovich when the long-time coach is ready to call it quits.
Johnson has been with the Spurs as one of Popovich’s lead assistants since 2019. Before joining San Antonio, Johnson was an assistant with the Austin Spurs in the NBA G League, winning a championship with the team in 2018 before finding himself on the bench next to the winningest head coach in league history.
The entire roster has been behind Johnson throughout the 2024-25 season, and Keldon Johnson recently showered the Spurs’ interim coach with praise for the job he’s done. Even Devin Vassell acknowledged the job Johnson has done on the sidelines, claiming that he’s been the calming presence for the team amid all the obstacles they’ve faced.
Although experienced coaches like Mike Brown, Mike Budenholzer, Brett Brown, Steve Kerr, and even Becky Hammon have been named as possible successors to Popovich in recent years, Johnson has stood out because of his ability to step up for the Spurs. This isn’t the first time he was the team’s acting head coach, and he will surely have Popovich’s blessing when the time comes.
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