History of Gregg Popovich in Timeline
Gregg Popovich, nicknamed "Coach Pop", is the president and head coach of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. He joined the Spurs organization in 1994, initially serving as president of basketball operations and general manager. He became the Spurs' coach in 1996, making him the longest-tenured active coach in the NBA and all other major American sports leagues. Popovich holds the record for the most wins by an NBA coach and is considered one of the greatest coaches in the league's history.
January 28, 1949: Birth of Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich was born on January 28, 1949.
1966: Popovich Graduates High School
Gregg Popovich graduated from Merrillville High School in 1966.
1970: Popovich Graduates from Air Force Academy
Gregg Popovich graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in Soviet studies.
1972: Popovich Captains Armed Forces Team to AAU Championship
In 1972, Gregg Popovich captained the U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Team to the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championship.
1973: Popovich Returns to Air Force Academy as Assistant Coach
Gregg Popovich returned to the U.S. Air Force Academy as an assistant coach in 1973.
1979: Popovich Becomes Head Coach at Pomona-Pitzer
In 1979, Gregg Popovich became the head coach of the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens.
1985: Popovich Takes Sabbatical to Volunteer at Kansas
In 1985, Gregg Popovich took a sabbatical from Pomona-Pitzer to become a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Kansas.
1987: Popovich's Final Season at Pomona-Pitzer Concludes
Gregg Popovich completed his final season as head coach at Pomona-Pitzer in 1987.
1988: Popovich and Buford's NBA Beginnings
Both Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford began their NBA careers in 1988 as assistant coaches under Larry Brown.
1988: Popovich Leaves Pomona-Pitzer
Gregg Popovich ended his tenure as head coach of the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens in 1988.
1988: Popovich Joins Spurs as Assistant Coach
Gregg Popovich joined the San Antonio Spurs as lead assistant coach under Larry Brown in 1988.
1992: Popovich Moves to Golden State Warriors
Gregg Popovich became an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors in 1992.
1994: Popovich Returns to Spurs as General Manager
Gregg Popovich returned to the San Antonio Spurs as general manager and vice president of basketball operations in 1994.
1994: Popovich Joins the Spurs Organization
In 1994, Gregg Popovich joined the San Antonio Spurs organization as president of basketball operations and general manager.
December 10, 1996: Popovich Becomes Spurs Head Coach Mid-Season
On December 10, 1996, Gregg Popovich fired Bob Hill and named himself head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
1996: Popovich Becomes Spurs Head Coach
Gregg Popovich took over as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs in 1996.
1996: Kobe Bryant Jersey Number
Kobe Bryant started his career in 1996, and until 2006 wore jersey number 8.
1997: Spurs Begin Rebuilding with Duncan
In 1997, the San Antonio Spurs began their rebuilding process with Tim Duncan.
1997: Spurs Draft Tim Duncan
The San Antonio Spurs drafted Tim Duncan with the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft.
1998: Spurs Achieve Winning Record Under Popovich
The Spurs achieved a winning record in 1998 under coach Gregg Popovich.
1999: Spurs Win First NBA Championship
The San Antonio Spurs won their first NBA championship in 1999.
1999: Spurs Championship Win
The Spurs won the NBA championship in 1999.
2002: Popovich Steps Down as General Manager
Gregg Popovich relinquished his position as general manager of the San Antonio Spurs in 2002.
2002: U.S. Men's National Team Coaching Staff
Gregg Popovich served as an assistant coach for the U.S. men's national basketball team during the 2002 FIBA World Championship under head coach George Karl.
2003: U.S. Men's National Team Coaching Staff
In 2003, Popovich was part of the coaching staff for the U.S. men's national team at the FIBA America Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
2003: Spurs Championship Win and Popovich's First Coach of the Year Award
The Spurs won the NBA championship and Gregg Popovich won his first NBA Coach of the Year award in 2003.
2004: U.S. Men's National Team Coaching Staff
Popovich served as an assistant coach under Larry Brown for the U.S. men's national team at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where the team won a bronze medal.
2005: Spurs Championship Win
The Spurs won the NBA championship in 2005.
2006: Kobe Bryant Jersey Number
From 2006 to 2016, Kobe Bryant wore the jersey number 24.
2007: Spurs Championship Win
The Spurs won the NBA championship in 2007.
April 4, 2008: Popovich Receives Distinguished Graduate Award
On April 4, 2008, Gregg Popovich received the Distinguished Graduate award from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
2011: Popovich's Coaching in 2011-2012 Season Earns Him Award
Gregg Popovich's coaching during the 2011-2012 NBA season earned him his second Coach of the Year award.
May 2, 2012: Popovich Wins Second Coach of the Year Award
Gregg Popovich won his second NBA Coach of the Year Award on May 2, 2012.
November 29, 2012: Popovich Rests Starters, Incurs Fine
On November 29, 2012, Gregg Popovich rested his star players, resulting in a fine from NBA commissioner David Stern.
2012: Popovich's Second Coach of the Year Award
Gregg Popovich won his second NBA Coach of the Year award in 2012.
2013: 2013 NBA Finals
In 2013, the San Antonio Spurs, led by Gregg Popovich, reached the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. The Spurs ultimately lost the series in seven games, marking their first Finals defeat.
April 22, 2014: Coach of the Year and NBA Championship
On April 22, 2014, Gregg Popovich received the Red Auerbach Trophy, winning his third NBA Coach of the Year award. The San Antonio Spurs, under his leadership, also won their fifth NBA Championship that season, defeating the Miami Heat 4-1 in the Finals.
2014: Spurs Championship Win and Popovich's Third Coach of the Year Award
The Spurs won the NBA championship and Gregg Popovich won his third NBA Coach of the Year award in 2014.
February 9, 2015: 1,000th Career Win
On February 9, 2015, Gregg Popovich secured his 1,000th career win as an NBA coach when the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Indiana Pacers. This achievement made him only the second coach, alongside Jerry Sloan, to achieve this milestone with a single franchise.
August 1, 2015: NBA Africa Game
Gregg Popovich coached Team Africa during the 2015 NBA Africa exhibition game on August 1, 2015.
October 23, 2015: Head Coach of U.S. Men's National Team
On October 23, 2015, Gregg Popovich was appointed as the head coach of the U.S. men's national basketball team, succeeding Mike Krzyzewski after the 2016 Rio Olympics.
2015: Franchise Record and Playoff Loss
During the 2015-16 NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs, led by Gregg Popovich, achieved a franchise record of 67 wins. However, their season ended with a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the conference semifinals.
2016: Appointment Timing
Gregg Popovich's appointment as the U.S. men's national basketball team head coach was announced before the 2016 Rio Olympics but his tenure was set to start after the event.
2016: Kobe Bryant Jersey Number
Up until 2016, Kobe Bryant wore the number 24 jersey.
February 4, 2017: Wins Record with One Franchise
On February 4, 2017, Gregg Popovich broke Jerry Sloan's record for most regular season wins with one franchise, achieving his 1,128th victory.
2017: Social Justice Advocacy
In 2017, among other instances of social activism, Gregg Popovich voiced his support for the Women's March.
April 18, 2018: Erin Popovich's Passing
Gregg Popovich's wife, Erin Popovich, passed away on April 18, 2018.
April 13, 2019: All-Time Winningest Coach
On April 13, 2019, Gregg Popovich became the all-time winningest coach in NBA history with 1,413 combined regular season and playoff wins, surpassing Lenny Wilkens.
2019: 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup
The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup saw the U.S. men's national team, coached by Gregg Popovich, finish in seventh place, the worst result in the team's history in international competitions.
January 26, 2020: Tribute to Kobe Bryant
On January 26, 2020, following the death of Kobe Bryant, Gregg Popovich initiated a tribute during the Spurs game against the Toronto Raptors. Both teams took intentional 24-second shot clock violations to honor Bryant's jersey number. This act of remembrance was replicated in many other NBA games on that day and the following days.
2020: 2020 Tokyo Olympics Gold Medal
At the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Gregg Popovich coached the U.S. men's national basketball team to a gold medal, defeating France in the final game.
2020: Political Endorsement
During the 2020 presidential election, Gregg Popovich endorsed Joe Biden.
2020: Popovich Coaches US Olympic Team to Gold
In 2020, Gregg Popovich coached the U.S. national team to a gold medal at the Summer Olympics.
March 27, 2021: 1,300th Regular Season Win
Gregg Popovich achieved his 1,300th regular season win on March 27, 2021, after the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Chicago Bulls. He became the third NBA coach to reach this milestone.
March 11, 2022: Most Regular Season Wins Record
On March 11, 2022, Popovich surpassed Don Nelson to become the coach with the most regular season wins in NBA history (1,336 wins), achieving this record in fewer games than Nelson.
July 8, 2023: Contract Extension
On July 8, 2023, Gregg Popovich signed a five-year contract extension with the San Antonio Spurs, committing him to the franchise through the 2027-28 season.
2023: Popovich Inducted into Hall of Fame
Gregg Popovich was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
2027: Contract Extension Duration
Gregg Popovich's contract extension, signed in 2023, lasts through the 2027-28 NBA season.