SAN ANTONIO — Coach Pop won't be hanging up his clipboard anytime soon.
The San Antonio Spurs on Saturday announced that Gregg Popovich, the winningest coach in NBA history, has signed a five-year contract.
Per club policy, the terms of the contract were not released. However, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal is worth more than $80 million.
The 74-year-old coach will be guiding the young Spurs during the rebuild and through Victor Wembanyama's current rookie deal.
The five-time NBA champion coach and soon-to-be Hall of Famer will continue playing a vital role in the team's immediate future.
Not only is the roster very young with players needing his coaching, but Popovich will be looking to help the franchise get back to the postseason and beyond following four straight seasons of missing out on playoff action.
Popovich's accolades stretch for miles, and include multiple NBA Coach of the Year Awards and the mark for the most wins in the regular season. He also guided Team USA to the gold medal in 2009, and is set to enter the Naismith Hall of Fame this summer.
Popovich took over as coach of the Spurs in December 1996. He’s won 1,366 games — 31 more than Don Nelson, who was the career wins leader before Popovich caught him.
He’s also third in playoff wins with 170, behind only Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171). And Popovich is one of only five coaches with at least five championships; Jackson won 11, Red Auerbach won nine and Popovich is in a group with Riley and John Kundla as winners of five.
“He’s amazing,” said Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who played for Popovich and assisted him with the national team. “The Hall of Fame was just a formality. Everybody knew he would be there. It was just a matter of when.”
The longstanding belief was that Popovich wanted certain people in the Hall before he would allow himself to be under consideration. Duncan and Ginobili had to go in first, and Popovich is part of a class that also includes two other people close to him — former Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and Parker.
“In all honesty, I always felt the Hall of Fame is like for Red Holzman, Red Auerbach and Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. ... I’ve never felt like I really belonged, to be honest with you,” Popovich said earlier this year. “I’m not trying to be ‘Mr. Humble’ or anything. I’m a Division III guy. I’m not a Hall of Fame guy.”
And the Hall of Fame career in San Antonio will continue for a few more years.
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