Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich has no plans to retire, will return next season
By Chris Walder
Fans of the San Antonio Spurs will be happy to hear that head coach Gregg Popovich won’t be leaving the team anytime soon.
During a media session on Saturday, Popovich was asked about the possibility of retirement in the near future. His response was music to the ears of anyone following his tenure with the Spurs organization, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida SunSentinal:
Popovich says he's not going anywhere, "I don't feel tired. I mean, I'm tired today, but I mean in general. I'd like to continue to coach."
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) June 14, 2014
If any coach in the league has a right to be tired, it’s probably Popovich. He’s helped lead the Spurs to the NBA playoffs in all but one of his seasons on the sidelines (1996-97).
He’s coached 1,410 regular season games over his career, winning 967 and losing 443. His postseason record of 148-90 is just as impressive, as are his four NBA Championship rings.
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With the Spurs one win away from championship No. 5, the possibility of both Popovich and Tim Duncan walking off into the sunset together was creeping into the minds of many. As Marc Stein of ESPN reported on Friday, that certainly won’t be the case, via James Herbert of CBS Sports:
"Amid rising speculation that Duncan and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich might ultimately be moved to walk away together in the event that the team goes on to win its fifth overall championship, San Antonio’s two faces of the franchise have routinely deflected any questions about their future plans.But sources say the Spurs, to this point, are quietly operating under the assumption that Duncan and Popovich will indeed be back next season. Both of their current contracts, along with those of fellow Spurs pillars Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, expire after the 2014-15 season, provided Duncan decides to opt in."