History of Gregg Popovich in Timeline

Gregg Popovich, also known as "Coach Pop", is a highly respected American basketball executive and former head coach. He served as the San Antonio Spurs' head coach for 29 seasons (1996-2025), securing five NBA championships. Before becoming coach, he was the Spurs' president of basketball operations and general manager starting in 1994. Popovich holds the record for the most wins by any coach in NBA history. He is considered one of the greatest coaches of all time because of his success and long tenure.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

January 28, 1949: Gregg Popovich Born

On January 28, 1949, Gregg Charles Popovich was born. He is now known as an American professional basketball executive and former coach.

Others born on this day/year

1966: Graduated High School

In 1966, Gregg Popovich graduated from Merrillville High School.

1970: Graduated from Air Force Academy

In 1970, Gregg Popovich graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a bachelor's degree in Soviet studies.

1972: Named Captain of Armed Forces Team

In 1972, Gregg Popovich was selected as captain of the U.S. Armed Forces Team, which went on to win the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championship. He was also invited to the 1972 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team trials.

1973: Returned to Air Force Academy as Assistant Coach

In 1973, Gregg Popovich returned to the Air Force Academy as an assistant coach. During this time, he also earned a master's degree from the University of Denver.

1979: Named Head Coach at Pomona-Pitzer

In 1979, Gregg Popovich was named the head coach of the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens basketball team.

1985: Volunteer Assistant at Kansas

In 1985, Gregg Popovich took off a season at Pomona-Pitzer to become a volunteer assistant at the University of Kansas, where he studied under Larry Brown.

1987: Joined Spurs as Assistant Coach

Following the 1987-88 season, Gregg Popovich joined the Spurs as the lead assistant coach under Larry Brown.

1988: Joined Spurs as Assistant Coach

Following the 1987-88 season, Gregg Popovich joined the Spurs as the lead assistant coach under Larry Brown.

1988: Popovich and Buford Starts in NBA

Gregg Popovich and Buford were both given their starts in the NBA in 1988 as assistants on Brown's coaching staff with the Spurs.

1988: End of Coaching at Pomona-Pitzer

In 1988, Gregg Popovich's tenure as the head coach of the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens basketball team ended.

1992: Moved to Golden State Warriors

In 1992, Gregg Popovich moved to the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach under Don Nelson.

1994: Joined Spurs Organization

In 1994, Gregg Popovich joined the San Antonio Spurs organization as the president of basketball operations and general manager.

1994: Returned to Spurs as General Manager

In 1994, Gregg Popovich returned to San Antonio as the general manager and vice president of basketball operations.

December 10, 1996: Popovich became Spurs head coach

On December 10, 1996, Gregg Popovich fired coach Bob Hill and named himself head coach of the Spurs.

1996: Popovich became Spurs coach

In 1996, Gregg Popovich became the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.

1997: Drafted Tim Duncan

In 1997, after a disastrous season, the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan with the first overall pick in the NBA draft.

1997: Winning Season

In 1997–1998, after recovering, the spurs had a winning season.

1998: Winning Season

In 1997–1998, after recovering, the spurs had a winning season.

1999: First NBA Title

In 1999, Gregg Popovich led the Spurs to their first NBA title.

1999: NBA Championship

In 1999, Popovich won a championship with the Spurs.

2002: Relinquished GM Position

In 2002, Gregg Popovich relinquished his position as general manager to R. C. Buford.

2002: Coaching Staff for US Men's National Team

In 2002, Gregg Popovich served on the coaching staff for the U.S. men's national team during the FIBA World Championship.

2003: Coaching Staff for US Men's National Team

In 2003, Gregg Popovich served on the coaching staff for the U.S. men's national team during the FIBA America Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

2003: NBA Championship and Coach of the Year

In 2003, Popovich won an NBA championship with the Spurs and was also named NBA Coach of the Year.

2004: Coaching Staff for US Men's National Team

In 2004, Gregg Popovich served on the coaching staff for the U.S. men's national team during the Athens Olympic Games, where they won the bronze medal.

2005: NBA Championship

In 2005, Popovich won a championship with the Spurs.

2006: Tribute to Kobe Bryant

On January 26, 2020, following the death of Kobe Bryant, Gregg Popovich proposed an intentional 24-second shot clock violation at the start of the Spurs game as a tribute to Kobe's jersey number which he donned from 2006.

2007: NBA Championship

In 2007, Popovich won a championship with the Spurs.

April 4, 2008: Received Distinguished Graduate Award

On April 4, 2008, Gregg Popovich received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

2011: Second Coach of the Year Award

On May 2, 2012, Gregg Popovich won his second NBA Coach of the Year Award for the 2011–12 season.

May 2, 2012: Second Coach of the Year Award

On May 2, 2012, Gregg Popovich won his second NBA Coach of the Year Award for the 2011–12 season.

November 29, 2012: Sat out starters against Miami Heat

On November 29, 2012, Gregg Popovich sat out key starters for a nationally televised game against the Miami Heat, leading to a fine from the NBA.

2012: NBA Coach of the Year

In 2012, Popovich was named NBA Coach of the Year.

2013: Led Spurs to NBA Finals

In 2013, Gregg Popovich led the Spurs to the NBA Finals, where they faced and lost to the Miami Heat in a seven-game series.

April 22, 2014: Won Red Auerbach Trophy

On April 22, 2014, Gregg Popovich was awarded the Red Auerbach Trophy as he won the NBA Coach of the Year for the third time. He also won his fifth NBA championship with San Antonio that season, beating the Heat 4–1 in the Finals.

2014: NBA Championship and Coach of the Year

In 2014, Popovich won an NBA championship with the Spurs and was also named NBA Coach of the Year.

February 9, 2015: 1000th Career Win

On February 9, 2015, Gregg Popovich became the ninth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games when the Spurs defeated the Indiana Pacers 95–93.

August 1, 2015: Coached Team Africa

On August 1, 2015, Gregg Popovich served as Team Africa's head coach at the 2015 NBA Africa exhibition game.

October 23, 2015: Named Head Coach of US Men's National Team

On October 23, 2015, Gregg Popovich was named the head coach of the U.S. men's national team, succeeding Mike Krzyzewski after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

2015: Franchise-High Wins and Conference Semifinals Loss

In the 2015–16 season, Popovich led the Spurs to a franchise-high 67 wins, but the team lost in the conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games.

2016: Tribute to Kobe Bryant

2016: Named Head Coach of US Men's National Team

On October 23, 2015, Gregg Popovich was named the head coach of the U.S. men's national team, succeeding Mike Krzyzewski after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

February 4, 2017: Surpassed Sloan

On February 4, 2017, Gregg Popovich recorded his 1,128th regular season win with one franchise, surpassing Sloan.

2017: Support for Women's March

In 2017, Gregg Popovich expressed support for the Women's March, speaking out on behalf of social justice issues.

April 18, 2018: Death of Erin Popovich

On April 18, 2018, Erin Popovich, Gregg Popovich's wife of 42 years, passed away. The couple had two children together.

April 13, 2019: All-Time Winningest Coach

On April 13, 2019, Gregg Popovich surpassed Lenny Wilkens and became the all-time winningest coach in NBA history with his 1,413th win (regular season and playoffs combined).

2019: FIBA Basketball World Cup

In 2019, at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the U.S. national team finished in seventh place, which was its worst finish ever in international competition under head coach Gregg Popovich.

January 26, 2020: Tribute to Kobe Bryant

On January 26, 2020, following the death of Kobe Bryant, Gregg Popovich proposed an intentional 24-second shot clock violation at the start of the Spurs game as a tribute.

2020: Coached US team at Olympics

In 2020, Gregg Popovich coached the U.S. national team at the Summer Olympics, leading them to a gold medal.

2020: Endorsement of Joe Biden

In 2020, Gregg Popovich endorsed Joe Biden in the presidential election, continuing his involvement in social and political issues.

2020: Gold Medal at Summer Olympics

In 2020, Gregg Popovich led the U.S. men's national team to a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, defeating France in the final.

2020: Gene Named After Popovich

In 2020, a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identified the gene responsible for nectar spur growth in Aquilegia (columbines) and named the gene POPOVICH to honor Gregg Popovich.

March 27, 2021: 1300th Regular Season Win

On March 27, 2021, Gregg Popovich won his 1,300th regular season game, becoming the third NBA coach to reach this milestone.

March 11, 2022: Most Regular Season Wins

On March 11, 2022, Gregg Popovich surpassed Don Nelson for the most regular season wins of all time, notching his 1,336th victory.

July 8, 2023: Signed Five-Year Contract Extension

On July 8, 2023, Gregg Popovich signed a five-year contract extension with the Spurs, keeping him with the franchise through the 2027-28 season.

2023: Inducted into Hall of Fame

In 2023, Gregg Popovich was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

November 2, 2024: Suffered a Stroke

On November 2, 2024, Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke and took an indefinite leave of absence from the team.

February 27, 2025: Confirmed Leave for Remainder of Season

On February 27, 2025, Gregg Popovich confirmed that he would not coach the team for the remainder of the season due to his health.

April 15, 2025: Popovich Faints and is Hospitalized

On April 15, 2025, Gregg Popovich reportedly fainted at a restaurant and was taken to a hospital by ambulance, but he returned home within days.

May 2, 2025: Stepped Down as Coach

On May 2, 2025, Gregg Popovich stepped down as coach of the Spurs after 29 seasons and transitioned to a new role as president of basketball operations.

2025: End of Coaching Tenure

In 2025, Gregg Popovich ended his 29-season tenure as the head coach for the San Antonio Spurs.

2025: Transition to Front Office

In 2025, Gregg Popovich stepped down after 29 seasons as head coach of the Spurs and transitioned into a front office role as the team's president of basketball operations.

2027: Signed Five-Year Contract Extension