San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is not expected to return to the Spurs this season, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Popovich has been in recovery from a mild stroke he suffered on Nov. 2, and Mitch Johnson has served as the team's interim head coach. According to Charania, Popovich's future in coaching remains uncertain.
Popovich has been the Spurs' coach for nearly 30 years, taking the job back in 1996. Over his storied coaching career, the Hall of Famer has won five NBA championships, is the NBA's all-time leader in coaching wins, and been named the NBA Coach of the Year on three separate occasions.
The 76-year-old has worked as either a college or NBA coach for over 50 years going back to 1973. He most recently signed a five-year contract extension with the Spurs back in 2023, and still has several years on that contract remaining.
Though Popovich has not been coaching over the last three months as he recovers, Johnson shared in January that he has been in regular contact with the long-time head coach, who is still providing honest feedback. Popovich has also been in consistent communication with his players, including Chris Paul.
The Spurs are also expected to be without star Victor Wembanyama for the remainder of the current season. Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
San Antonio is currently 12th in the Western Conference with a 24-30 record.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Spurs' Gregg Popovich Not Expected to Return This Season, Coaching Future Uncertain.
