{"id":15504,"date":"2025-05-07T08:07:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T08:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/15504\/"},"modified":"2025-05-07T08:07:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T08:07:34","slug":"san-antonio-spurs-introduce-mitch-johnson-as-new-head-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/15504\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio Spurs introduce Mitch Johnson as new head coach"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Mitch Johnson was officially introduced as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/sports\/2025\/05\/02\/spurs-promote-mitch-johnson-to-head-coach-taking-over-for-gregg-popovich\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/sports\/2025\/05\/02\/spurs-promote-mitch-johnson-to-head-coach-taking-over-for-gregg-popovich\/\">new head coach<\/a> of the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, marking a significant milestone in his coaching career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">He\u2019s taking over now that Gregg Popovich is stepping away from his head coaching duties to become the Spurs\u2019 president of basketball operations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cMitch Johnson will be the guy that forges our future, and I\u2019ll do the best I can to help that,\u201d Popovich said in a news conference on Monday, his first since his mild stroke in November 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">&gt;&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2025\/05\/05\/i-want-to-thank-you-spurs-gregg-popovich-addresses-fans-appoints-new-head-coach-mitch-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2025\/05\/05\/i-want-to-thank-you-spurs-gregg-popovich-addresses-fans-appoints-new-head-coach-mitch-johnson\/\">Spurs\u2019 Gregg Popovich addresses fans, appoints new head coach Mitch Johnson<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The 38-year-old Johnson is set to take the reins of a franchise known for its rich history and commitment to excellence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Johnson, who has been with the Spurs organization for several years, previously served as an assistant coach. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cI am honored by this opportunity, but even more humbled by the people that I will be able to partner with and serve,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">During the press conference, Johnson took the time to address and say \u201cthank you\u201d to Spurs staff, the fans and the players. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cTo the fanbase with the unwavering support and the commitment to want us to win so bad, we appreciate that,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cTo the current players, you are the part of this opportunity that\u2019s most exciting. You guys have put yourself in a place to continue to grow and do something special. I cannot wait to continue to grow with you, partner with you, challenge you, and try to get better every day.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">His deep understanding of the team\u2019s culture and values is expected to play a crucial role as he transitions into this leadership position.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cWe want to build upon something; this is not a restart. It\u2019s a new chapter because it looks different, but the theme of the book isn\u2019t changing,\u201d Johnson said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The news of Johnson becoming the new head coach came on Friday, right after the Spurs announced Popovich was stepping down. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">On Friday, Johnson expressed his gratitude for the opportunity in a statement. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cI am honored to be named the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs,\u201d he said. \u201cThis organization has been my home for many years, and I look forward to building on the legacy of success that has been established here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The Spurs have a storied history, including five NBA championships and a reputation for developing talent. Johnson\u2019s promotion comes at a time when the team is looking to once again be a playoff contender. His familiarity with the players and the system is seen as a significant advantage as the Spurs embark on this new chapter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Johnson will inherit a wealth of talent led by Victor Wembanyama, De\u2019Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. And the Spurs will have two first-round draft picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, so the future is bright for Johnson and the Spurs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Spurs General Manager Brian Wright praised Johnson\u2019s leadership qualities and basketball acumen. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cMitch has demonstrated a deep commitment to our players and our community,\u201d Wright said. \u201cWe believe he is the right person to lead this team into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read also:<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2025 by KSAT &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Mitch Johnson was officially introduced as the new head coach of the San Antonio Spurs&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15505,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3797],"tags":[7,3349,3361,6,969,474,4075,4074,534],"class_list":{"0":"post-15504","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-antonio-spurs","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-gregg-popovich","10":"tag-mitch-johnson","11":"tag-nba","12":"tag-san-antonio","13":"tag-san-antonio-spurs","14":"tag-sanantonio","15":"tag-sanantoniospurs","16":"tag-spurs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/114465528022222531","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15504\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}