Gregg Popovich’s coaching career is set to come to an end after he made the decision on Friday to officially step down as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. And while Popovich will no longer be on the sidelines each and every night, he will remain a key fixture in the Spurs organization, which ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is quite happy about.
Originally, Popovich’s plan was to try and return to coaching for the 2025-26 NBA season after missing the vast majority of the season due to a mild stroke he suffered back in November.
That plan changed on Friday, as Popovich announced in a statement on Friday that he will be transitioning to a full-time role as the Spurs’ president of basketball operations. Mitch Johnson, who served as the interim head coach during Popovich’s lengthy absence, will take on the head-coaching role on a full-time basis moving forward.
This decision from Popovich marks the end to one of the greatest coaching careers of all time, coaching the San Antonio Spurs for the last 29 years, with over two decades of coaching experience elsewhere prior to that.
Naturally, Popovich’s decision to step down was a topic of conversation on Friday’s edition of First Take. While it is obviously a bit sad to see the legendary coaching career of Gregg Popovich end in this way without a proper sendoff, Smith relished the fact that the five-time NBA champion will remain a prominent voice in San Antonio in his new role.
“Well, I’m happy, to be quite honest with you, from the standpoint that, you know, Gregg Popovich has climbed up there in age,” said Smith. “He has had some health issues. God bless him. I wish him nothing but the best obviously. The regular grind of coaching on a day-to-day basis, particularly with this younger generation of players, it might be suited for somebody else at this particular moment in time.
“It’s not like he’s fading into the twilight. He’s still going to serve as team president. He’s still going to be a primary decision maker with that franchise. This is a five-time champion, a three-time coach of the year, all-time winningest coach in the regular season with 1,422 (wins), 170 postseason wins, third all-time only behind Pat Riley and Phil Jackson.
“Popovich and I haven’t spoken in a very, very long time, but I used to say this about him all the time, and I see Shams there right now… I would say this about Popovich all the time, and I say this affectionately. I used to joke around, calling him the biggest phony you’d ever meet because he comes across as so acerbic and so abrasive at times. He’s one of the nicer individuals you will ever find.
“A good man who is beloved by players who have played for him, that has done so much for the game, and is revered even by opposing players that have gone up against his franchises because of what he’s meant to the game of basketball. And I’ve always had profound respect and appreciation for him and what he’s brought to the game of basketball and the tree of individuals he’s had out there that have springboarded.
“Ime Udoka once was an assistant under him, obviously Steve Kerr and his relationship goes back a ways as well. So as long as he’s still around the game of basketball, I’m fine with it as long as he’s okay and in good health.”
“I’m happy…As long as he’s still around the game of basketball, I’m fine with it.” – Stephen A. Smith reacts to Gregg Popovich stepping down has head coach of the San Antonio Spurs pic.twitter.com/EW43cf5d84
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 2, 2025
On top of being one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport, Gregg Popovich does have experience in a front-office role, serving as the general manager of the Spurs in the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons before taking over for Bob Hill as head coach. So chances are, Popovich should have no trouble in his transition into this new role next season.