Spurs quickly choose their replacement for Gregg Popovich

Marc Stein of The Stein Line had previously reported that there was a strong expectation that the Spurs would name Johnson as Popovich’s successor.

The Spurs’ coaching staff has churned out numerous head coaches under Popovich, so it makes sense that they would stay in-house to hire his replacement. Johnson has been a member of the team’s staff since 2019 and had been Popovich’s go-to acting coach even before last season. With Popovich set to take over as team president, it makes sense that he might also have favored Johnson if he had significant say in the decision on his successor.

The Spurs went 34-48 overall last season, and 31-45 with Johnson as their interim coach.

The franchise likely would have attract a lot of interest from high-profile names had they opted to conduct a full coaching search. The organization has a reputation for stability, and has an outstanding young core in place led by Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle. They have a legitimate chance to become one of the main contenders in the Western Conference in the years to come if they play their cards right. Johnson will be the one to inherit that enviable situation.