Who is Spurs assistant taking over for Gregg Popovich?
San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson will assume interim coaching duties indefinitely, as coach Gregg Popovich recovers from an undisclosed health issue suffered Saturday before a 113-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
‘He’s not feeling well,’ Johnson said of Popovich before the Timberwolves game. ‘This has happened before. I think everybody’s just always got to be ready for the next man up. We’ve had it with injuries and sometimes people get sick or don’t feel well or things come up in life. He’s just not feeling well.’
Johnson will serve as interim for at least the next two games.
Here’s everything you need to know about Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson:
Who is Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson?
Mitch Johnson, 39, has served under Popovich since 2019, when he joined the Spurs staff as an assistant, and is considered one of the NBA’s top young assistant coaches.
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This will mark the third time Johnson steps in as San Antonio’s interim coach. The first came in May 2021, when Popovich attended the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction of former Spurs great Tim Duncan; Johnson and San Antonio lost that game, 140-103. The second time was in March 2023 when Popovich missed one game with a non-COVID-19 illness; Johnson earned his first career coaching victory then, 110-99, over the Pacers. Popovich returned the following game.
Previously, Johnson had been with the organization’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs; from 2016 through 2019, he was an assistant under coaches Ken McDonald and Blake Ahearn.
Johnson played four seasons of D-I basketball at Stanford from 2005 through 2009, averaging 5.3 points, 4.1 assists and 3 rebounds per game. Johnson helped lead the Cardinal to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2008. After his college playing career, Johnson had a brief stint in the G League with the Tulsa 66ers.
Johnson is the son of former two-time NBA All-Star John Johnson.
How long will Gregg Popovich be out for the Spurs?
That remains unclear. The Spurs said Popovich will be out at least for San Antonio’s two-game road trip that starts Monday with a game in Los Angeles against the Clippers and ends Wednesday at the Houston Rockets.
Popovich, 75, missed Saturday’s game against the Timberwolves because of an undisclosed illness. ESPN reported that Popovich suffered a health issue prior to the game.
Popovich is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach with 1,391 victories. He has also won five NBA Finals.
What will Mitch Johnson need to do while interim coach of the Spurs?
Essentially, Johnson will try to maintain the system and culture Popovich has built over his nearly three decades as the Spurs coach. The Spurs, sitting at 3-3, remain a young roster with phenom Victor Wembanyama as the centerpiece. In his second season, Wembanyama is averaging 18 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3 blocks per game. Continuing to develop Wembanyama is the priority.
Veteran point guard Chris Paul has brought stability and play making to the position, and forwards Jeremy Sochan, 21, and Keldon Johnson, 25, have become bright spots on the roster.
What have the Spurs said about Mitch Johnson?
After San Antonio’s victory over Minnesota, Paul complimented the job Johnson did as interim coach.
‘Mitch did a great job, man,’ Paul said. ‘I think our whole coaching staff did. Things happen in this league all the time, and just like with the players, it’s next man up. So, shoutout to Mitch; he did a great job tonight.”
