Gregg Popovich Steps Down as Coach, Moves to New Role With Spurs

Longtime head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, has stepped down as the coach. The veteran will now move into a new role as the full-time Team President.

ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported the news on social media.

"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. The iconic Popovich is a Basketball Hall of Famer, the NBA's all-time winningest coach, and led the Spurs to five championships."

This is certainly a move that not many expected, but Popovich has dealt with some health scares of late. The veteran coach did suffer a stroke last year, forcing him to step away from the team for a significant amount of time.

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Spurs CEO R.C. Buford had expected Popovich to return to the sidelines next season, but his health likely wouldn't have allowed it. The first priority is the health of Popovich, and San Antonio would never risk any issues coming up.

This move seems to give both sides something, and Popovich gets to stay with the franchise. San Antonio wasn't very competitive this past season, and without Popovich, they couldn't recover.

The Spurs will now begin a search for a new coach, but nobody will be able to replace what Popovich did for this organization. His drive to win was rare, and it helped the Spurs find massive success on the court.

Popovich is widely seen as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, winning five championships over his long career. San Antonio first captured the title during the 1998-99 season, and a new dynasty was born from there.

The Spurs also won in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014, giving Popovich multiple titles over multiple decades. San Antonio was led by David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, and others during his run as head coach.

Popovich has spent his entire head coaching career in San Antonio and has left an impressive legacy with the Spurs. While this news isn't what any fans wanted to hear, at least the veteran coach can still be around the team, even in a new capacity.

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