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After nearly 30 years at the helm of the San Antonio Spurs, head coach Gregg Popovich is officially stepping down.
But as ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed, Popovich isn’t going anywhere just yet as he takes on a new, more behind-the-scenes role.
“BREAKING: Gregg Popovich will no longer be Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs and is transitioning full-time to Team President, sources told ESPN,” Charania tweeted.
In his statement, Popovich thanks the fans and players who helped make his tenure a pleasure.
“WHILE MY LOVE AND PASSION FOR THE GAME REMAIN, I’VE DECIDED IT’S TIME TO STEP AWAY AS HEAD COACH,” he wrote. “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’s departure truly marks the end of an era, though, because he’s been a part of the Spurs organization since 1994 before becoming the head coach in 1996.
Since then, he’s led the franchise to championships in different eras of the league, in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and most recently, 2014, grooming the likes of Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard.
The three-time NBA Coach of the Year winner’s resignation shouldn’t be completely surprising since he suffered a stroke in November. He’d never return to coaching this season, and those duties were handed over to Assistant Coach Mitch Johnson.
In February, he came to peace that he’d be out for the season, but after vowing to return in the future, he was hospitalized again after suffering a medical emergency at a San Antonio restaurant in April.
ESPN reports that he realized that at 76, he could no longer handle the grueling 82-game, six-month stints, which don’t even count the postseason.
Now, he’s still hanging around the facility, and has “been involved throughout the Spurs’ offseason and will continue to be a vital member of the franchise’s day-to-day operations.”
Popovich logged 1,422 regular-season wins, which is the most in history, and now that Mitch Johnson —who’s been an assistant for a decade— has been officially handed the keys to the franchise, it’s time for him to keep it going.
See how social media is reacting to the news below.