Popovich remains Spurs mentor as Johnson takes over head coach role

Gregg Popovich may no longer sit in the head coach’s chair, but his imprint still runs through the San Antonio Spurs as they chase the postseason identity he built over 29 seasons. Mitch Johnson is now the head coach, yet Popovich remains in the building as president of basketball operations, a steady voice for a franchise trying to turn a young core into a contender.

Popovich’s transition began after he suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2, 2024, in the Spurs’ arena before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He said on Feb. 27, 2025 that he would not return to the sidelines that season, then formally stepped aside on May 2, 2025 and moved into the front office role. At that point, he made clear the change was necessary, saying, “It’s time to make this change.”

Johnson, who had been on Popovich’s staff since the 2019-20 season, took over on an interim basis and coached the final 77 games of the 2024-25 season. The Spurs went 32-45 in those games, which counted on Popovich’s record because he was still officially the head coach, and finished 34-48 overall. That left San Antonio out of the playoffs for a sixth straight year, but the season still carried signs of progress.

Victor Wembanyama made his first All-Star team, and the Spurs added De’Aaron Fox at the trade deadline, giving the roster a different ceiling than it had a year earlier. The record still lagged behind the franchise’s standards, but the mix of a rising star, a veteran trade acquisition and a deeper young core pointed toward the next stage of the rebuild.

Even in this new structure, Popovich has remained a visible and forceful presence. In 2026 reporting, he was still showing up at practices and games, often with a cane, entering the locker room to offer feedback, pep talks and, when necessary, blunt criticism. Players have described him as El Jefe, or The Boss, and Devin Vassell said Popovich gives honest, direct advice and tells the truth. Rookie Carter Bryant has said Popovich has been a major part of his year.

That influence has taken on even more meaning as San Antonio’s postseason run has deepened. After the Spurs clinched a trip to the 2026 NBA Finals, Wembanyama became emotional when asked about Popovich and said he needed to call him because no one else could fully understand what he was feeling. For a franchise built on continuity, Popovich’s greatest power now may be the one he wields without a whistle: he still sets the emotional and strategic standard for what the Spurs believe they can become.