SPURS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT - NBA.com

BASKETBALL STAFF
GREGG POPOVICH
HEAD COACH / PRESIDENT OF
SPURS BASKETBALL
Has led the Spurs to four NBA Championships in his 12 seasons
as the team’s head coach (1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007) … one
of five coaches in history with four-or-more NBA Championships
(along with Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, John Kundla and Pat Riley)
… enters the 2008–09 season with a career mark of 632-302 …
career winning percentage of .677 ranks third in NBA history (behind
Jackson and Billy Cunningham) … posted his 600th career win vs.
Minnesota on January 12, 2008 … did so in his 887th career game, making him the third fastest
coach in NBA history to reach the 600 win mark (behind Jackson and Riley) … playoff career
winning percentage of .631 (101-59) is the fourth best in NBA history and his 101 playoff wins
are the third most in league history (behind Jackson and Riley) … named the 2003 NBA Coach
of the Year … has been named the NBA Coach of the Month 10 times (4/99, 3/01, 3/02, 1/03,
3/03, 12/03, 12/05, 3/06, 3/07 and 11/07) … has led San Antonio to the NBA’s best regular
season record three times (1998–99, 2000–01 and 2002–03) … the Spurs all-time leader in both
regular season and playoff wins … a 1970 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with
a degree in Soviet studies … played four seasons at the Air Force Academy … as a senior was
the team’s captain and leading scorer … following his graduation in 1970 served his five-year
military commitment … during that time toured Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union as a member
of the U.S. Armed Forces Team … selected to represent the U.S. on the national A.A.U. Team
touring the Soviet Union … in 1972 was the captain of the Armed Forces team, which won the
A.A.U. Championship … earned an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team Training Camp …
in 1973 returned to the Air Force Academy as an assistant coach … spent six years at Air Force
during which time he obtained his master’s degree in physical education and sports sciences from
the University of Denver … in 1979 was named the head coach at Pomona-Pitzer in Claremont,
California … spent the next eight seasons at Pomona … during the 1985–86 season led the
team to its first conference championship in 68 years and to a berth in the NCAA Division III
Tournament … while at Pomona was an active member of the school’s academic community,
working as an associate professor, chairing the college’s Student Life committee, serving on
the Women’s Commission and even – for one year – living in a dorm with his family … moved to
the NBA in July of 1988, joining the Spurs as an assistant coach as a member of Larry Brown’s
staff … spent the next four seasons in San Antonio with a Spurs team that won a pair of Midwest
Division titles … in the summer of 1992 was named an assistant coach on Don Nelson’s staff
with Golden State … spent the next two seasons with the Warriors … returned to San Antonio on
May 31, 1994, as the Spurs executive vice president of basketball operations/general manager
(served as GM for eight full seasons before turning the job over to R.C. Buford on July 1, 2002)
… named the Spurs head coach in December of 1996 … served as an assistant coach for USA
Basketball’s Men’s Senior Team for three consecutive summers (at the 2002 World Basketball
Championship, the 2003 FIBA America Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2004
Olympic Games) … a very active member of the San Antonio community … in 1991 teamed
with Frank Martin to create the Spurs Youth Basketball League … today the league plays at
75 locations in and around San Antonio … over 20,000 boys and girls – ages 7 to 16 – played
in the league in 2007–08 … prior to every game, each participant takes the Drug-Free League
pledge, promising to remain drug and alcohol free while showing good sportsmanship and fair
play … in February of 1992, President Bush awarded a Daily Point of Light Award to the Spurs
Drug-Free League … is involved in several charities in the San Antonio area including the San
Antonio Food Bank, Roy Maas’ Youth Alternatives and the Kids Sports Network … honored
by the Air Force Academy with its Distinguished Graduate Award in 2007 … he and his wife of
33 years, Erin, have been blessed with two children, Micky and Jill.
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