Gregg Popovich
Encyclopedia
Gregg Popovich is an American
basketball
coach
, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association
's San Antonio Spurs
. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan
as head coach of the Utah Jazz
on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the longest among the Big Four sports leagues. He is often referred to as "Coach Pop" or simply "Pop."
, went to High School at Merrillville High School and graduated in 1970 from the United States Air Force Academy
. He played basketball
for four seasons at the Academy, and in his senior year was the team captain and the leading scorer. He graduated with his bachelors degree in Soviet
Studies, and he underwent Air Force intelligence gathering and processing training. He even considered a career with the Central Intelligence Agency
.
Popovich next served his required five years of active duty in the United States Air Force
, during which he toured eastern Europe
and the Soviet Union
with the U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Team. In 1972, he was selected as the Captain of the Armed Forces Team, which won the Amateur Athletic Union
(AAU) championship. This earned him an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team trials.
Popovich returned to the Air Force Academy as an assistant coach in 1973 under head coach Hank Egan
, a position he held for six years. Egan would later become an assistant coach under Popovich for the San Antonio Spurs
, and later an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers
under Mike Brown
.
During his time with the coaching staff of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Popovich attended the University of Denver
and earned his Masters Degree in Physical Education
and Sports Sciences. In 1979, he was named the head basketball coach of Pomona-Pitzer
's men's team.
During his time as head coach at Pomona-Pitzer, Popovich became a disciple and eventually a close friend of the University of Kansas
head coach Larry Brown
. Popovich would eventually decide to take off the 1985–1986 season at Pomona-Pitzer to become a volunteer assistant at the University of Kansas
, where he could study directly under Brown. Popovich returned to Pomona-Pitzer and resumed his duties as head coach the next season.
On April 4, 2008, Popovich returned to the Air Force Academy. He was bestowed the Academy's award of Distinguished Graduate. Popovich said that the award possibly was the most meaningful he has received, which includes four NBA titles.
as the lead assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs
. Popovich was even the best man in Brown's wedding in 1990, and the two would later coach against each other in the 2005 NBA Finals
, with Brown coaching the Detroit Pistons
. Popovich and the Spurs prevailed.
From 1988 to 1992, Popovich was the top assistant under Brown, before the entire staff [including R.C. Buford, Alvin Gentry
and Ed Manning
] was fired by owner Red McCombs
. Popovich moved to the Golden State Warriors
for a brief stint in 1992, serving as an assistant under Don Nelson
and bringing with him Avery Johnson
, who had been cut by the Spurs.
. The two won an NBA title together in 1999, and Johnson, later head coach of the Dallas Mavericks
, credits Popovich as being his biggest coaching influence.
Another one of Popovich's early moves in San Antonio was to trade Dennis Rodman
to the Chicago Bulls
for Will Perdue
.
18 games into his third season as Spurs head coach after posting a combined 121–43 record in his first two seasons with the team. Popovich took over as head coach on the same day David Robinson
joined the lineup for the first time that season due to an injury. Robinson quickly suffered another injury that forced him to miss the remainder of the season. Popovich's record that year as an interim coach for the Spurs was 17–47.
Popovich was highly criticized by Kevin O'Keeffe, a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News
, following his decision to fire Hill. O'Keeffe argued that Hill's 3–16 start in 1996 had more to do with injuries to Robinson, Sean Elliott
, Chuck Person
, and Vinny Del Negro
. O'Keeffe resigned from the San Antonio Express-News in 1999, just months before the Spurs won their first NBA title.
Popovich over the years has gained a reputation as a surly interviewee and a testy dealer with the media. In a 2007 interview with Craig Sager
of TNT, Popovich ignored a question by Sager regarding a current game and outwardly questioned Sager's professionalism. In various in-game interviews, Popovich has been known for giving extremely short and sarcastic answers, as well as simplistic responses to reporters questions.
out of Wake Forest University
. The Spurs blossomed as Duncan teamed up with the 7'1" David Robinson
to give them a "Twin Tower" offense and defense for several years.
In 2002, Popovich relinquished his position as the General Manager to R. C. Buford
, who had served as the team's Head Scout. Popovich and Buford both got their starts in the NBA in 1988 as assistants on Larry Brown's coaching staff with the Spurs.
Popovich is known around the league for his expressive coaching style. "Pop" (as he is affectionately known to Spurs personnel and fans), is the most decorated coach in Spurs history, having led the team to their first championship in 1999
, and to repeat performances in 2003
, 2005
, and 2007
. Popovich was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2003.
He earned his 500th career victory on March 2, 2006, becoming the fourth fastest coach in NBA history to reach that milestone. He led the team to a 63–19 season in 2006, which set a new franchise season record. Because of his success in San Antonio, Popovich is now considered by some people to be a likely candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame
.
Popovich has also represented the USA in international play, serving on the coaching staff for the US national team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship
(assisting George Karl
), the 2003 FIBA America Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and the 2004 Olympic Games.
Popovich won his 600th game as coach of the Spurs on January 12, 2007, with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves
.
Popovich won his 100th playoff game on May 19, 2008, on the New Orleans Hornets' home court. The win tied him for third place in all-time playoff coaching victories with his friend and mentor, Larry Brown
.
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|64||17||47||.266|| align="center" |6th in Midwest||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
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|82||56||26||.683|| align="center" |2nd in Midwest||9||4||5||.444
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
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|50||37||13||.740|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||17||15||2||.882
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
|-
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|82||53||29||.646|| align="center" |2nd in Midwest||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
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|82||58||24||.707|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||13||7||6||.538
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
|-
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|82||58||24||.707|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||10||4||6||.400
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
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|82||60||22||.732|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||24||16||8||.667
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
|-
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|82||57||25||.695|| align="center" |2nd in Midwest||10||6||4||.600
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
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|82||59||23||.720|| align="center" |1st in Southwest||23||16||7||.696
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
|-
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|82||63||19||.768|| align="center" |1st in Southwest||13||7||6||.538
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
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|82||58||24||.707|| align="center" |2nd in Southwest||20||16||4||.800
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
|-
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|82||56||26||.683|| align="center" |2nd in Southwest||17||9||8||.529
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
|-
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|82||54||28||.659|| align="center" |1st in Southwest||5||1||4||.200
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
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|82||50||32||.610|| align="center" |2nd in Southwest||10||4||6||.400
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
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|82||61||21||.744|| align="center" |1st in Southwest||6||2||4||.333
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||1180||797||383||.675|| ||181||108||73||.597
. He has also been recognized as a noted wine enthusiast. He and his wife of 29 years, Erin, have two children, Micky and Jill.
Popovich is also a supporter of Vlade Divac
's "You Can Too" campaign, designed to provide shelter to former Yugoslavian and African refugees.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan
Jerry Sloan
Gerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan , is an American former National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history." Sloan had a career regular-season...
as head coach of the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the longest among the Big Four sports leagues. He is often referred to as "Coach Pop" or simply "Pop."
From Indiana to the Air Force Academy
Popovich, whose father was of Serbian and mother of Croatian descent, was born in East Chicago, IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, went to High School at Merrillville High School and graduated in 1970 from the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
. He played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
for four seasons at the Academy, and in his senior year was the team captain and the leading scorer. He graduated with his bachelors degree in Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Studies, and he underwent Air Force intelligence gathering and processing training. He even considered a career with the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
.
Popovich next served his required five years of active duty in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, during which he toured eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
with the U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Team. In 1972, he was selected as the Captain of the Armed Forces Team, which won the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
(AAU) championship. This earned him an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team trials.
Popovich returned to the Air Force Academy as an assistant coach in 1973 under head coach Hank Egan
Hank Egan
Hank Egan is a professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has most recently served as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers . He has also been an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs .Egan was the head coach of the University of...
, a position he held for six years. Egan would later become an assistant coach under Popovich for the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, and later an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
under Mike Brown
Mike Brown (basketball coach)
Michael “Mike” Brown is an American basketball head coach in the National Basketball Association for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was previously the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from June 2, 2005 until May 24, 2010. After learning the game under Gregg Popovich, Brown is widely regarded as...
.
During his time with the coaching staff of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Popovich attended the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
and earned his Masters Degree in Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
and Sports Sciences. In 1979, he was named the head basketball coach of Pomona-Pitzer
Claremont Colleges
The Claremont Colleges are a prestigious American consortium of five undergraduate and two graduate schools of higher education located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
's men's team.
During his time as head coach at Pomona-Pitzer, Popovich became a disciple and eventually a close friend of the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
head coach Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
. Popovich would eventually decide to take off the 1985–1986 season at Pomona-Pitzer to become a volunteer assistant at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, where he could study directly under Brown. Popovich returned to Pomona-Pitzer and resumed his duties as head coach the next season.
On April 4, 2008, Popovich returned to the Air Force Academy. He was bestowed the Academy's award of Distinguished Graduate. Popovich said that the award possibly was the most meaningful he has received, which includes four NBA titles.
From D3 to the NBA
Following the 1987–1988 season, Popovich joined Larry BrownLarry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
as the lead assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
. Popovich was even the best man in Brown's wedding in 1990, and the two would later coach against each other in the 2005 NBA Finals
2005 NBA Finals
The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2004-05 National Basketball Association season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference faced the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a...
, with Brown coaching the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
. Popovich and the Spurs prevailed.
From 1988 to 1992, Popovich was the top assistant under Brown, before the entire staff [including R.C. Buford, Alvin Gentry
Alvin Gentry
Alvin Gentry is an American professional basketball coach, and college basketball player, who has led four different NBA teams. He served as an interim coach for the Miami Heat at the end of the 1995 season, and later coached the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Clippers...
and Ed Manning
Ed Manning
Edward R. Manning was an American professional basketball player and college and NBA assistant coach. He was the father of former NBA player Danny Manning....
] was fired by owner Red McCombs
Red McCombs
Billy Joe "Red" McCombs is the founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group, a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, a former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Vikings, and the namesake of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin...
. Popovich moved to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
for a brief stint in 1992, serving as an assistant under Don Nelson
Don Nelson
Donald Arvid "Don" Nelson is a former NBA player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors....
and bringing with him Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson is a former American professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association team New Jersey Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons...
, who had been cut by the Spurs.
Back to San Antonio
In 1994, he returned to San Antonio as the General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations after a new ownership group had purchased the team. Popovich's first move was to sign Johnson to become the team's starting point guardPoint guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
. The two won an NBA title together in 1999, and Johnson, later head coach of the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
, credits Popovich as being his biggest coaching influence.
Another one of Popovich's early moves in San Antonio was to trade Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
for Will Perdue
Will Perdue
William Edward Perdue is a retired American NBA basketball player who won four NBA Championships. Perdue is now an ESPN basketball commentator and analyst.Perdue attended Merritt Island High School, Merritt Island, Florida...
.
Criticism
Controversy surrounded Popovich during the 1996–97 NBA season when he fired Bob HillBob Hill
Robert W. Hill is an American basketball coach. Hill grew up in Mount Sterling, Ohio moving to Worthington, Ohio for high school. Upon graduating from high School, Hill entered Bowling Green State University. Hill is currently the head coach of the Tokyo Apache in Japan...
18 games into his third season as Spurs head coach after posting a combined 121–43 record in his first two seasons with the team. Popovich took over as head coach on the same day David Robinson
David Robinson
-Sports personalities:*David Robinson , American player*David Robinson , cricketer*David Robinson , English professional player; striker from 1988 to 1998...
joined the lineup for the first time that season due to an injury. Robinson quickly suffered another injury that forced him to miss the remainder of the season. Popovich's record that year as an interim coach for the Spurs was 17–47.
Popovich was highly criticized by Kevin O'Keeffe, a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
, following his decision to fire Hill. O'Keeffe argued that Hill's 3–16 start in 1996 had more to do with injuries to Robinson, Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott
Sean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
, Chuck Person
Chuck Person
Chuck Connors Person is a retired American National Basketball Association player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.-High school and college:...
, and Vinny Del Negro
Vinny Del Negro
Vincent Joseph "Vinny" Del Negro is a retired American basketball player. He is the current head coach of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, and was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2008 until 2010.-Early life:...
. O'Keeffe resigned from the San Antonio Express-News in 1999, just months before the Spurs won their first NBA title.
Popovich over the years has gained a reputation as a surly interviewee and a testy dealer with the media. In a 2007 interview with Craig Sager
Craig Sager
Craig Sager , is currently a sportscaster for TNT and TBS. Sager is a graduate of Northwestern University. He has previously covered sports for CBS and CNN. His nickname is "America's Sideline Reporter"....
of TNT, Popovich ignored a question by Sager regarding a current game and outwardly questioned Sager's professionalism. In various in-game interviews, Popovich has been known for giving extremely short and sarcastic answers, as well as simplistic responses to reporters questions.
Building a dynasty
Following the 1996–1997 NBA season, the Spurs won the first overall pick in the NBA Lottery and drafted Tim DuncanTim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
out of Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
. The Spurs blossomed as Duncan teamed up with the 7'1" David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
to give them a "Twin Tower" offense and defense for several years.
In 2002, Popovich relinquished his position as the General Manager to R. C. Buford
R. C. Buford
R. C. Buford is the general manager of the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team. He was given the title by his predecessor, Gregg Popovich, in 2002 after five seasons as team president. He is also the president of sports franchises for Spurs Sports & Entertainment.Buford played college basketball...
, who had served as the team's Head Scout. Popovich and Buford both got their starts in the NBA in 1988 as assistants on Larry Brown's coaching staff with the Spurs.
Popovich is known around the league for his expressive coaching style. "Pop" (as he is affectionately known to Spurs personnel and fans), is the most decorated coach in Spurs history, having led the team to their first championship in 1999
1999 NBA Finals
The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season or the 1999 season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage...
, and to repeat performances in 2003
2003 NBA Finals
The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2002–03 NBA season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New Jersey Nets of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Spurs...
, 2005
2005 NBA Finals
The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2004-05 National Basketball Association season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference faced the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a...
, and 2007
2007 NBA Finals
The 2007 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2006-07 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland...
. Popovich was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2003.
He earned his 500th career victory on March 2, 2006, becoming the fourth fastest coach in NBA history to reach that milestone. He led the team to a 63–19 season in 2006, which set a new franchise season record. Because of his success in San Antonio, Popovich is now considered by some people to be a likely candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
.
Popovich has also represented the USA in international play, serving on the coaching staff for the US national team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship
2002 FIBA World Championship
The 2002 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from August 29 to September 8, 2002.-Venues:-Squads:...
(assisting George Karl
George Karl
George Matthew Karl is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player. He is the current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. On December 10, 2010 he became the seventh coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins.-Biography:Karl was born in Penn Hills,...
), the 2003 FIBA America Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and the 2004 Olympic Games.
Popovich won his 600th game as coach of the Spurs on January 12, 2007, with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
.
Popovich won his 100th playoff game on May 19, 2008, on the New Orleans Hornets' home court. The win tied him for third place in all-time playoff coaching victories with his friend and mentor, Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
.
Head coaching record
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San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| align="left" |
|64||17||47||.266|| align="center" |6th in Midwest||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||56||26||.683|| align="center" |2nd in Midwest||9||4||5||.444
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
|-
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|50||37||13||.740|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||17||15||2||.882
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
1999 NBA Finals
The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season or the 1999 season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage...
|-
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| align="left" |
|82||53||29||.646|| align="center" |2nd in Midwest||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
2000 NBA Playoffs
The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||58||24||.707|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||13||7||6||.538
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||58||24||.707|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||10||4||6||.400
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||60||22||.732|| align="center" |1st in Midwest||24||16||8||.667
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
2003 NBA Finals
The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2002–03 NBA season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New Jersey Nets of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Spurs...
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||57||25||.695|| align="center" |2nd in Midwest||10||6||4||.600
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||59||23||.720|| align="center" |1st in Southwest||23||16||7||.696
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
2005 NBA Finals
The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2004-05 National Basketball Association season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference faced the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a...
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||63||19||.768|| align="center" |1st in Southwest||13||7||6||.538
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||58||24||.707|| align="center" |2nd in Southwest||20||16||4||.800
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
2007 NBA Finals
The 2007 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2006-07 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland...
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||56||26||.683|| align="center" |2nd in Southwest||17||9||8||.529
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||54||28||.659|| align="center" |1st in Southwest||5||1||4||.200
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||50||32||.610|| align="center" |2nd in Southwest||10||4||6||.400
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
|-
| align="left" |SAS
| align="left" |
|82||61||21||.744|| align="center" |1st in Southwest||6||2||4||.333
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||1180||797||383||.675|| ||181||108||73||.597
Off the court
Popovich is actively involved in several charities and programs in San Antonio, such as the Spurs/Pizza Hut Drug Free Youth Basketball League and the San Antonio Food BankFood bank
A food bank or foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have...
. He has also been recognized as a noted wine enthusiast. He and his wife of 29 years, Erin, have two children, Micky and Jill.
Popovich is also a supporter of Vlade Divac
Vlade Divac
Vlade Divac is a retired Yugoslav and Serbian professional basketball player who spent most of his career in the NBA. At , he played center and was known for his passing skills...
's "You Can Too" campaign, designed to provide shelter to former Yugoslavian and African refugees.
External links
- NBA.com Profile
- Profile as a coach
- 'Pop' art by Adrian Wojnarowski (Yahoo! Sports)