Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson yells out commands from the sidelines during a game this season. Credit: Courtesy of San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs on Friday named Mitch Johnson as new head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.

The announcement came less than an hour after Spurs Sports & Entertainment confirmed that Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich, 76, would be stepping down and transitioning into a full-time role as president of team operations.

“We are thrilled for Mitch Johnson to be our next head coach,” Spurs managing partner Peter Holt said in a statement. “Throughout his decade in the organization, we have seen that Mitch has the right values, poise and potential to lead us into the future.”

In November, the little-known and unproven Johnson became the team’s interim head coach after a stroke sidelined five-time NBA champion Popovich.

Under his 77-game command, Johnson, who previously served as assistant coach, led the team to an underwhelming 32-45 record. However, the season was hindered by star players Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox being on the injured list.

“I am truly grateful and honored to receive this incredible opportunity,” Johnson said in a statement. “I am thankful for Coach Pop, RC, Brian and Peter trusting me to carry our culture and I promise to give this responsibility everything I have to make Spurs fans proud.”

Johnson played college basketball at Stanford University before going unselected during the 2009 NBA Draft. From there, he played for the G-League’s Tulsa 66ers and various European teams before retiring from pro basketball in 2012. He held low-profile coaching jobs before joining the Spurs as assistant coach for the franchise’s minor-league Austin Spurs until 2019, when he jumped to that role for the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs’ quick announcement that Johnson will secede Popovich shocked some fans on social media, especially considering the available coaching talent now up for grabs. Among the names reportedly on the market are Mike Malone, who led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA Championship in 2023; Mike Budenholzer, the former championship head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks; and Mike Brown, who’s led Sacramento, Los Angeles and Cleveland.

Fans will have to wait and see whether Johnson turns out to be a winning pick like Joe Mozzula or a flop like Jerod Mayo.

Stay tuned.

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This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...