For nearly three decades, the San Antonio Spurs didn’t have to worry about changing their head coach.
That was due to the presence of the legendary Gregg Popovich on the San Antonio Spurs. To be precise, Popovich was the Spurs’ head coach for 29 years.
However, coach Popovich finally bid farewell to the Spurs as a coach during the 2024-25 NBA season due to his deteriorating health.
While many names were proposed as the next head coach of the team, such as Mike Malone and Mike Brown, the Spurs went ahead with Mitch Johnson.
Mitch Johnson’s NBA coaching experience
If there’s one thing the Spurs feel proud of as a franchise, it’s their carefully cultivated culture during coach Popovich’s tenure.
Keeping that in mind, it’s no surprise that the Spurs hired from within the organization. How? Well, Johnson joined the team as an assistant coach in 2019.
Following a six-year stint as an assistant coach, Johnson finally landed the head coaching gig during the 2024-25 season.
He coached the Spurs for all but five games last season. In 77 games, the Spurs went 32-45 under coach Johnson, which was only good enough for the 13th seed in the Western Conference.
However, in a short span, Johnson has shown signs of being a worthy successor to coach Popovich. If all goes well, Johnson could enjoy a long spell with the Spurs.
Mitch Johnson will be tested during the 2025-26 season
Injuries to key stars Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox overshadowed Johnson’s debut season with the Spurs as a head coach.
But ahead of the 2025-26 season, Johnson will have a completely healthy roster at his disposal, led by Wembanyama.
On top of that, the Spurs also have Stephon Castle, the NBA Rookie of the Year and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Dylan Harper.
Considering their roster, the Spurs should be able to contend for a playoff spot next season, something they haven’t accomplished since 2019.
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