Gregg Popovich's time as an NBA coach head coach is over, as the Spurs coach announced Friday that he's stepping away from the sidelines due to his health.
The veteran is arguably the greatest coach in NBA history, having won five titles with the Spurs, which is tied for third all-time. However, of the five coaches to win that many NBA championships, Popovich is one of three to win them all with just one team.
In his time as the Spurs head coach, Popovich set many records, including being the winningest coach in NBA history. One area where Popovich excelled was with his longevity, as his tenure with the Spurs ranks among the best compared to his contemporaries throughout league history.
Here's a breakdown of Popovich's time with the Spurs and what history he made during his time in San Antonio.
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How long did Gregg Popovich coach the Spurs?
Popovich coached the Spurs for 29 years, first taking over the team in 1996 before retiring after the 2024-25 season.
Longest tenured NBA coaches all-time
| Coach | Team | Tenure | Years |
| Gregg Popovich | Spurs | 29 | 1996-2025 |
| Jerry Sloan | Jazz | 23 | 1988-2011 |
| Erik Spoelstra | Heat | 17 | 2008-2025 |
| Red Auerbach | Celtics | 16 | 1950-1965 |
| Red Holzman | Knicks | 14 | 1968-1982 |
| John MacLeod | Suns | 14 | 1973-1987 |
| Al Attles | Warriors | 14 | 1970-1983 |
Popovich holds the record for longest tenure as a head coach with one NBA team, leading the Spurs for 29 years. Jerry Sloan is the only other coach to surpass the 20-year mark, having coached the Jazz for 23 years himself.
However, the third coach on this list is also the only active head coach. Erik Spoelstra just finished his 17th season as the Heat's head coach, passing Red Auerbach for sole possession of third. In order to pass Popovich, Spoelstra will have to coach Miami until the 2037-38 season.
Auerbach has the most championships of all time, winning nine titles in his 16 years with the Celtics, which is as efficient of a tenure as there is in sports. Holzman and MacLeod are the winningest coaches in Knicks and Suns history, respectively, while Attles is second in Warriors history to Steve Kerr.
MORE: Where Gregg Popovich ranks among NBA's best coaches
Gregg Popovich coaching record
Popovich ended his career with a record of 1,422-869 as the only coach ever to win at least 1,400 games in his NBA career.
During his time with the Spurs, Popovich won at least 60 games in a season six times and at least 50 games in a season 19 times — and that doesn't include going 37-13 in the strike-shortened 1998-99 season. Additionally, Popovich had just seven losing seasons, but six of them came during his final six seasons.