After 29 seasons leading the San Antonio Spurs, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich is stepping away from coaching and moving into the Spurs front office as president of basketball operations. Over the course of his illustrious coaching career, Popovich became the NBA's winningest coach, won five NBA championships, one Olympic gold medal. He helped mentor some of the league's greatest players, such as legends and fellow Hall of Famers Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Manu Ginobili, as well as current stars like two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and 2024 Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, among others.
But Popovich hasn't just mentored players. In a true testament to the power of networking, the Spurs legend has also mentored several assistant coaches who have parlayed roles on his San Antonio staff into head coaching careers of their own. Popovich's coaching tree is wide and expansive. Let's take a look at each individual branch.
Gregg Popovich's Coaching Tree
Mike Budenholzer
•Years on Popovich's Spurs Staff: 1994 to 2013
•Head Coaching Roles Post-Spurs: Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns
•Current Role: Unemployed after being fired by Suns
•Record as NBA Head Coach: 520–363 (.589)
•Other Achievements: NBA Coach of the Year x2 (2015, '19)
Budenholzer broke into the NBA in 1994 as a video coordinator for the Spurs. He spent two seasons in that role before being elevated to Popovich's Spurs staff in '96, where he was an assistant coach up until the '13 season. During that time, he developed into one of Popovich's most trusted assistants while winning four NBA championships with the Spurs. He was hired by the Hawks in May of '13 and proceeded to lead the franchise to four straight postseason berths. It was in his next head coaching stint with the Bucks where Budenholzer captured his first NBA title as a head coach. While his most recent tenure with the Suns was not as fruitful, one can bet that Budenholzer will land on his feet, given his wealth of experience and connection to one of the greatest coaches in NBA history.
Mike Brown
•Years on Popovich's Spurs Staff: 2000 to '03
•Head Coaching Roles Post-Spurs: Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings
•Current Role: Unemployed after being fired by Kings
•Record as NBA Head Coach: 454–304 (.599)
•Other Achievements: NBA Coach of the Year x2 (2009, '23)
Brown has had the privilege of working under three NBA coaching legends: Bernie Bickerstaff, Popovich and Rick Carlisle. He was an assistant on Popovich's staff from '00 to '03, winning a championship in his final season with the organization. He went on to coach the Cavaliers, Lakers and Kings. Notably, in a former padawan vs. jedi master situation, Brown coached against Popovich when the Spurs defeated the Cavaliers in the '07 NBA Finals.
Brett Brown
•Years on Popovich's Spurs Staff: 2003 to '13
•Head Coaching Roles Post-Spurs: Philadelphia 76ers
•Current Role: Assistant on Spurs staff
•Record as NBA Head Coach: 221–344 (.391)
Brown first began coaching in Australia in the 1980s and didn't join the Spurs until the early 2000s. In '07, he was elevated to the position of Spurs assistant coach, and he took off from there, quickly becoming one of Popovich's most trusted assistants, as well as a close friend to the Spurs legend. As head coach of the 76ers, Brown oversaw some truly horrific teams as management decided to tank for draft picks. However, he managed to lead the team to three straight playoff appearances in his final three seasons in Philadelphia. Currently, Brown is back in San Antonio in his second stint as an assistant.
P.J. Carlesimo
•Years on Popovich's Spurs Staff: 2002 to '07
•Head Coaching Roles Post-Spurs: Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets (interim)
•Current Role: Retired
•Record as NBA Head Coach: 239–315 (.431)
Carlesimo had already established himself as an NBA head coach before his tenure as an assistant in San Antonio, as he had coached the likes of the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors while also leading several programs in the collegiate ranks. Most notably, Carlesimo was also an assistant coach on the iconic 1992 Dream Team. He quickly earned Popovich's trust, winning three NBA titles in the five seasons he spent in San Antonio. Even though it would have hurt Popovich's own coaching staff, the Spurs legend urged teams to hire Carlesimo as a head coach back in '03, demonstrating just how highly he thought of Carlesimo.
James Borrego
•Years on Popovich's Spurs Staff: 2003 to '10, '15 to '18
•Head Coaching Roles Post-Spurs: Charlotte Hornets
•Current Role: Assistant on New Orleans Pelicans staff
•Record as NBA Head Coach: 148-183 (.447)
Borrego has had two stints as a Spurs assistant, first from 2003 to '10 and again from '15 to '18. In '21–22, he helped lead the Hornets to its first winning record since '15–16 as the franchise's head coach.
Ime Udoka
•Years on Popovich's Spurs Staff: 2012 to '19
•Head Coaching Roles Post-Spurs: Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets
•Current Role: Rockets head coach
•Record as NBA Head Coach: 144–102
Udoka both played and coached under Popovich. He won an NBA title with the franchise in '14, then parlayed his experience under Popovich to his own head coaching career, leading the Celtics to the NBA Finals in the 2021–22 season. Currently in his second season with the Rockets, he has the team in its first postseason run since 2019–20.
Will Hardy
•Years on Popovich's Spurs Staff: 2015 to '21
•Head Coaching Roles Post-Spurs: Utah Jazz
•Current Role: Jazz head coach
•Record as NBA Head Coach: 85–161 (.346)
After graduating from Williams College, Hardy broke into the NBA coaching ranks as an assistant with the Spurs in '15 and remained with the franchise until '21. He landed the Jazz head coaching role in June of '22
Jacque Vaughn
•Years on Popovich's Spurs Staff: 2010 to '12
•Head Coaching Roles Post-Spurs: Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets
•Current Role: Unemployed
•Record as NBA Head Coach: 129–226 (.363)
Like Udoka, Vaughn also played and coached under Popovich. After his playing career ended in '09, he didn't wait long to move from the court to the sidelines, as he joined the Spurs staff in '10 as an assistant. While Vaughn's head coaching success has been limited, he impressed as an interim coach for the Nets in 2022–23 following the firing of Steve Nash.
Jim Boylen
•Years on Popovich's Spurs Staff: 2013 to '15
•Head Coaching Roles Post-Spurs: Chicago Bulls
•Current Role: Indiana Pacers assistant coach
•Record as NBA Head Coach: 39–84 (.317)
Boylen won the third of his three NBA championships as a Spurs assistant after taking home two titles in the 1990s on staff with the Houston Rockets. He joined the Bulls as an associated head coach in '15, andwas elevated to the role of Bulls head coach after the firing of Fred Hoiberg in '18. Currently, Boylen is an assistant on the Pacers' staff under Rick Carlisle.
Mitch Johnson
•Years on Popovich's Spurs Staff: 2019-2025
•Current Role: Spurs Head Coach
•Record as NBA Head Coach: 32-45 (.415)
Johnson was an assistant under Popovich from '19 to '24, then stepped into the role of interim coach in November of '24 as Popovich dealt with health issues. On May 2, 2025, San Antonio named Johnson its full-time head coach, officially ushering in a new era as Popovich transitions to the role of president of basketball operations.
Other Coaches Popovich Has Influenced
In addition to these former and current head coaches who have worked under him, Popovich has also mentored many coaches who have taken on roles in the G League, as well as overseas. Popovoch also was a part of some progressive coaching history in the last decade. He hired Becky Hammon in Aug. '14 as a Spurs assistant, helping her become the first full-time, paid female assistant on an NBA coaching staff. She later became the first female acting head coach in league history when Popovich was ejected from a game in '20. Hammon interviewed for NBA head coaching jobs, ultimately choosing to return to the WNBA to lead the Las Vegas Aces in '22. She led the franchise to back-to-back WNBA titles in her first two seasons.
Popovich has also directly and indirectly mentored some of the game's most accomplished coaches, from the Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr—who played under Popovich on the Spurs—to Bucks coach Doc Rivers—who also played under Popovich—to Carlisle, who considers the former Spurs coach to be a mentor.
In terms of coaching trees, it's hard to find one with more branches than Popovich's.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gregg Popovich Coaching Tree: Every NBA Head Coach That Worked on His Staff.