{"id":6614,"date":"2025-05-02T17:07:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T17:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/6614\/"},"modified":"2025-05-02T17:07:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T17:07:09","slug":"three-degrees-of-gregg-popovich-the-coaching-tree-that-connects-the-entire-nba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/6614\/","title":{"rendered":"Three degrees of Gregg Popovich: The coaching tree that connects the entire NBA"},"content":{"rendered":"

A decade ago, when a number of NBA coaches lauded Gregg Popovich for the willingness to welcome newcomers to his fraternity, Frank Vogel called the San Antonio Spurs coach the league’s “godfather<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

How true that remains in 2025. Popovich’s fingerprints are literally everywhere across the NBA.<\/p>\n

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Back then, when Brad Stevens accepted the coaching job for the Boston Celtics, Popovich phoned him, offered some advice, and the two developed a close relationship forged by a shared passion for coaching.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, the fraternity’s ties to Popovich are even more familial. Most of them knew him well before they sniffed a head coaching gig. And if they did not, they knew someone who did. In fact, we can trace every one of the league’s current head coaches to Popovich in three degrees of separation or fewer.<\/p>\n

(I will give you a moment to conduct the exercise in your head before we put it down on paper.)<\/p>\n

Popovich stepped down as head coach of the Spurs<\/a> on Friday to accept a position as team president. He suffered a stroke in early November and had been on an indefinite leave of absence ever since. Mitch Johnson, who has spent the past decade in San Antonio’s system, has served as an interim replacement.<\/p>\n

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Five other head coaches \u2014 Will Hardy, Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers, Quin Snyder and Ime Udoka \u2014 directly played for and\/or coached under Popovich. Mike Brown, Mike Budenholzer and Taylor Jenkins, who were all fired from their gigs this season, also coached in Popovich’s system within the Spurs organization.<\/p>\n

Two more, Erik Spoelstra and Jamahl Mosley, served as Popovich’s assistants in some capacity during his four-year term at USA Basketball’s helm. So tie a third of the league to Pop in one degree of separation.<\/p>\n

Another 14 coaches \u2014 Kenny Atkinson, J.B. Bickerstaff, Chauncey Billups, Rick Carlisle, Doug Christie, Willie Green, Tuomas Iisalo, Brian Keefe, Charles Lee, Tyronn Lue, Joe Mazzulla, Darko Rajakovi\u0107, JJ Redick and Tom Thibodeau \u2014 either played or coached for someone who either played or coached for Popovich.<\/p>\n

When Billy Donovan and Jason Kidd first became head coaches, each named a Popovich disciple to his staff. Mark Daigneault also shared that Oklahoma City Thunder staff with Donovan and Monty Williams.<\/p>\n

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That leaves four coaches \u2014 David Adelman, Jordi Fernandez, Chris Finch and Nick Nurse \u2014 who required a third degree of separation. All four assisted coaches who assisted coaches who assisted Popovich, if it makes sense. A coaching tree is in full bloom, its branches reaching every corner of the NBA (except for the Phoenix Suns, and how much do you want to bet we can trace their next coach’s lineage back to Pop).<\/p>\n

THREE DEGREES OF GREGG POPOVICH<\/p>\n

COACH<\/p>\n

1ST DEGREE<\/p>\n

2ND DEGREE<\/p>\n

3RD DEGREE<\/p>\n

Steve Kerr,
Golden State Warriors<\/p>\n

Played for Popovich<\/p>\n

Doc Rivers,
Milwaukee Bucks<\/p>\n

Played for Popovich<\/p>\n

Ime Udoka,
Houston Rockets<\/p>\n

Played for Popovich<\/p>\n

Will Hardy,
Utah Jazz<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Mitch Johnson,
San Antonio Spurs<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Quin Snyder,
Atlanta Hawks<\/p>\n

Austin Toros
coach under Popovich<\/p>\n

Erik Spoelstra,
Miami Heat<\/p>\n

USA Basketball
assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Jamahl Mosley,
Orlando Magic<\/p>\n

USA Basketball
assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Kenny Atkinson,
Cleveland Cavaliers<\/p>\n

Assistant to Mike Brown<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Rick Carlisle,
Indiana Pacers<\/p>\n

Assistant to P.J. Carlesimo<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Doug Christie,
Sacramento Kings<\/p>\n

Assistant to Mike Brown<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Willie Green,
New Orleans Pelicans<\/p>\n

Assistant to Monty Williams<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Tuomas Iisalo,
Memphis Grizzlies<\/p>\n

Assistant to Taylor Jenkins<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Brian Keefe,
Washington Wizards<\/p>\n

Assistant to Jacque Vaughn<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Charles Lee,
Charlotte Hornets<\/p>\n

Assistant to Mike Budenholzer<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Tyronn Lue,
Los Angeles Clippers<\/p>\n

Assistant to Doc Rivers<\/p>\n

Played for Popovich<\/p>\n

Michael Malone,
Denver Nuggets<\/p>\n

Assistant to Mike Brown<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Joe Mazzulla,
Boston Celtics<\/p>\n

Assistant to Ime Udoka<\/p>\n

Played for Popovich<\/p>\n

Darko Rajakovi\u0107,
Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n

Assistant to Monty Williams<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Tom Thibodeau,
New York Knicks<\/p>\n

Assistant to Doc Rivers<\/p>\n

Played for Popovich<\/p>\n

Chauncey Billups,
Portland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n

Played for Vinny Del Negro<\/p>\n

Played for Popovich<\/p>\n

JJ Redick,
Los Angeles Lakers<\/p>\n

Played for Brett Brown<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Jason Kidd,
Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n

Head coach to Joe Prunty<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Billy Donovan,
Chicago Bulls<\/p>\n

Head coach to Monty Williams<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

J.B. Bickerstaff,
Detroit Pistons<\/p>\n

Played for Chad Forcier<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Mark Daigneault,
Oklahoma City Thunder<\/p>\n

Assistant with Monty Williams<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

David Adelman,
Denver Nuggets<\/p>\n

Assistant to Michael Malone<\/p>\n

Assistant to Mike Brown<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Jordi Fernandez,
Brooklyn Nets<\/p>\n

Assistant to Michael Malone<\/p>\n

Assistant to Mike Brown<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Chris Finch,
Minnesota Timberwolves<\/p>\n

Assistant to Michael Malone<\/p>\n

Assistant to Mike Brown<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Nick Nurse,
Philadelphia 76ers<\/p>\n

Assistant to Bryan Gates<\/p>\n

Assistant to Monty Williams<\/p>\n

Assistant to Popovich<\/p>\n

Nurse was the most difficult connection. Nevertheless, his first professional coaching job on this side of the pond came with the now-defunct Oklahoma Storm of the United States Basketball League. The head coach of that team: Bryan Gates, a longtime assistant to Williams, who both played and coached for Pop.<\/p>\n

The loosest connections? Bickerstaff and Carlisle. Bickerstaff played two seasons of college ball at Oregon State, where Chad Forcier served as an assistant. Forcier later became an assistant to Popovich. Likewise, Carlisle served as an assistant to PJ Carlesimo before Carlesimo served as a Popovich assistant.<\/p>\n

True to form, both Bickerstaff and Carlisle have closer ties to Popovich than these degrees of separation might suggest. Bickerstaff attended Popovich’s basketball camp as a child<\/a>, because his father, Bernie \u2014 a longtime NBA coach who assisted two Popovich disciples \u2014 was friends with the San Antonio legend.<\/p>\n

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Similarly, when Carlisle was first passed over for an NBA head coaching gig in 2000, Popovich invited him to spend several days of training camp with the Spurs, and yet another coaching mentorship was forged.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn’t need me to come down there,” said Carlisle, via Fieldhouse Files<\/a>. “He was doing it because he\u2019s a giver. He understood at that time that was something that would lift me up \u2014 and it did. The coaches in this league that have known him for all these years really look up to him in a very, very special way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because Popovich has influenced every one of their styles whether they know it or not. A true godfather.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A decade ago, when a number of NBA coaches lauded Gregg Popovich for the willingness to welcome newcomers…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6615,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[208,7,3363,75,3362,247,473,2298,329,193,149,187,188,2660,3215,164,3349,2559,3360,194,1272,126,2684,2675,135,150,177,189,3357,3358,121,152,3361,1017,6,470,191,179,76,207,472,471,1714,477,969,474,863,476,3359,427,468],"class_list":{"0":"post-6614","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-atlanta-hawks","9":"tag-basketball","10":"tag-billy-donovan","11":"tag-boston-celtics","12":"tag-brian-keefe","13":"tag-brooklyn-nets","14":"tag-charlotte-hornets","15":"tag-chauncey-billups","16":"tag-chicago-bulls","17":"tag-cleveland-cavaliers","18":"tag-dallas-mavericks","19":"tag-denver-nuggets","20":"tag-detroit-pistons","21":"tag-doc-rivers","22":"tag-doug-christie","23":"tag-golden-state-warriors","24":"tag-gregg-popovich","25":"tag-head-coach","26":"tag-head-coaches","27":"tag-houston-rockets","28":"tag-ime-udoka","29":"tag-indiana-pacers","30":"tag-jamahl-mosley","31":"tag-joe-mazzulla","32":"tag-los-angeles-clippers","33":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","34":"tag-memphis-grizzlies","35":"tag-miami-heat","36":"tag-mike-brown","37":"tag-mike-budenholzer","38":"tag-milwaukee-bucks","39":"tag-minnesota-timberwolves","40":"tag-mitch-johnson","41":"tag-monty-williams","42":"tag-nba","43":"tag-new-orleans-pelicans","44":"tag-new-york-knicks","45":"tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","46":"tag-orlando-magic","47":"tag-philadelphia-76ers","48":"tag-phoenix-suns","49":"tag-portland-trail-blazers","50":"tag-rick-carlisle","51":"tag-sacramento-kings","52":"tag-san-antonio","53":"tag-san-antonio-spurs","54":"tag-steve-kerr","55":"tag-toronto-raptors","56":"tag-usa-basketball","57":"tag-utah-jazz","58":"tag-washington-wizards"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6614","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=6614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}