Pop's Last Dance: Spurs Coach Retiring After Season?

Gregg Popovich is entering his 27th season as coach of the San Antonio Spurs. But after a legendary career and a team eyeing a rebuild, could 2022-23 be Pop's last on the bench?

Jeremy Brener | Sep 22, 2022

Pop's Last Dance: Spurs Coach Retiring After Season? /

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San Antonio Spurs

Gregg Popovich is about to embark on his 27th season as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, but this year doesn't bring as much hype as most, if not all, of his previous campaigns.

Popovich's Spurs are rebuilding, evidenced after the blockbuster trade this offseason to send All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for cap-filler Danilo Gallinari and three future first-round picks.

The Spurs are angling for the future, but does that include the 73-year-old legendary coach? Popovich is entering the final season of a three-year contract, and there haven't been any plans announced to extend him beyond the 2022-23 season.

The Spurs aren't contending for a championship anytime soon, so Popovich's prime motivation stems from his love for his job. But how long will that passion survive?

Arguably the greatest coach of all time, Popovich has earned the right to coach as long as he wishes. And it's clear he enjoys the job otherwise he would have left a long time ago. Many believed Popovich would retire alongside Tim Duncan when he hung up his sneakers in 2016, but it's 2022 ... and Pop's still around.

Popovich's retirement will happen someday, and nobody is going to ask the winningest coach of all time to lead because the team isn't a winner. But Popovich entering a contract year makes people wonder if this could be the exit to take in his long NBA ride.

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Published Sep 22, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.