Will Coach Gregg Popovich return next season as Spurs coach?

Head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, turning the big 7-0 on January 28th was asked by the New York Times, if he’ll return to the 2019/2020 season. Popovich’s response was “I don’t know the answer”, while giving the after game media conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas whom the Spurs defeated the Mavericks 105 – 101.

Gregg Popovich had won his most recent NBA World Championship in 2014 defeating the Miami Heat in five games. Popovich had discussed the question of retirement with R.C. Buford, the Spurs President, on various options after this season.

“He’ll coach as long as he wants to coach.” Buford said in a statement.

Popovich has already committed to coaching the U.S.A. Men’s Basketball team for the next two summers, the 2019 F.I.B.A. World Cup in China and the Men’s summer Basketball team for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

The big three who Popovich took under his wing, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili who had already hung up their NBA jerseys in retirement and Tony Parker who is looking to return to the Spurs next season and retire after.

The Spurs had recently celebrated Pop’s move into third place in coaching wins behind Don Nelson and Lenny Wilkens.

Popovich has five NBA championships under his belt as the Spurs coach. Pop also joins NBA coaches Phil Jackson who won eleven titles as well as Red Auerbach with nine championships, Pat Riley with five and John Kundla, also with five championships.

Duncan joins 71-year old Bill Bertka, 71-year-old Hubie Brown and 70-year-old Larry Brown as the only NBA head coaches to work into the 70’s according to Elias Sports Bureau.

We’ll have to see next season what happens.