Changes: Gregg Popovich

**Gregg Popovich**
	; Popovich during a game in 2013
San Antonio Spurs
Position	Head coach
League	NBA
Personal information
	This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).
Nationality	American
Coaching career
Best Record	62-20 (2013-14)
Championships	5 - NBA (1998-99, 2002-03,; 2004-05, 2006-07, 2013-14)
Coaching career	1973-present (51 years)
Playing career
High school	Merrillville High School ; (Merrillville, Indiana)
College	Air Force 1966-1970)
Career history
1973-1979	Air Force (asst.)
1979-1987	Ponoma Pitzer (asst.)
1988-1992	San Antonio Spurs (asst.)
1992	Golden State Warriors
1996-present	San Antonio Spurs
Career highlights and awards
	5× NBA champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014); 3× NBA Coach of the Year (2003, 2012, 2014); 6× Western Conference champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2014); 3× NBA All-Star Game head coach (2005, 2011, 2013,2014);

Revision as of 04:19, 21 February 2018

Gregg Popovich (born January 28, 1949) is an American professional basketball head coach for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. Popovich currently holds the longest tenure in the NBA with 28 years as Head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.

Pop, of Serbian origin, is a 1966 graduate of Merrillville High School and a 1970 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy . He played basketball for four seasons at the Academy, and in his senior year was the captain and the leading scorer. He graduated with his bachelors degree in Soviet Studies, and then served five years in the Air Force, during which he toured Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, and played basketball with the U.S. Armed Forces Team. In 1972 he was named captain of the Armed Forces Team, which won the AAU championship; this earned him an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic team training camp.

He returned to the Air Force Academy as an assistant coach in 1973, a position he held for 6 years. During this time, Popovich attended the University of Denver and obtained his Masters Degree in Physical Education and Sports Sciences. In 1979, he was named head coach of Pomona Pitzer's men's basketball team. He moved to the NBA and the Spurs in 1988, serving as an assistant coach to Larry Brown, with whom he remains close friends. He moved to the Golden State Warriors for a brief stint in 1992, serving as an assistant under Don Nelson.

In 1994 he became the General Manager of the Spurs, (a position he turned over to R.C. Buford in 2002), and took over as head coach after the firing of Bob Hill in 1996. Popovich is known around the league for his expressive coaching style, especially when his team has been called for a foul; these actions lead to technical fouls, and in some cases, ejections. Nonetheless, "Pop" (as he is affectionately known to Spurs personnel and fans) is the most decorated coach in Spurs history, having led the team to their first championship in 1999, and to repeat performances in 2003 and 2005. Pop received the honour of the NBA Coach of the Year Award in 2003 after leading the Spurs into the playoffs en route to another championship. He also earned his 500th career victory on March 2, 2006, becoming the 4th fastest coach in NBA history to reach that milestone. He led the team to a 63-19 season in 2006, which set a new franchise season record.

Popovich has also represented the USA in international play, serving on the coaching staff for the 2002 World Basketball Championship, the 2003 FIBA America Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and the 2004 Olympic Games.

Off the court, Popovich is actively involved in several other San Antonio charities and programs, such as the Spurs/Pizza Hut Drug Free Youth Basketball League and the San Antonio Food Bank. He and his wife of 29 years, Erin, have two children, Micky and Jill.

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 {{San Antonio Spurs team color}} San Antonio Spurs
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+{{Row}}'''Position'''
-| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |[[Head coach]]
+| [[Head coach]]
+|-
+{{Row}}'''League'''
+| [[NBA]]
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 {{San Antonio Spurs team color}} Personal information
 |-
 | style="vertical-align: top;" |'''Born'''
-| {{Birth date and age|1949|1|29}}  <br>East Chicago, Indiana
+| {{Birth date and age|1949|1|29}}  <br>{{Wikipedia}}East_Chicago,_Indiana  East Chicago, Indiana]
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 | style="vertical-align: top;" |'''Nationality'''
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 |-
 | style="vertical-align: top;" |'''Championships'''
-| 4 - [[NBA]] ([[1998-99 NBA season|1998-99]], [[2002-03 NBA season|2002-03]],<br> [[2004-05 NBA season|2004-05]], [[2006-07 NBA Season|2006-07]])
+| 5 - [[NBA]] ([[1998-99 NBA season|1998-99]], [[2002-03 NBA season|2002-03]],<br> [[2004-05 NBA season|2004-05]], [[2006-07 NBA Season|2006-07]], [[2013-14 NBA season|2013-14]])
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 | style="vertical-align: top;" |'''Coaching career'''
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 | style="vertical-align: top;" |'''College'''
-|[[Air Force]] (1966-1970)
+|[[Air Force Falcons|Air Force]] 1966-1970)
 |-
 {{San Antonio Spurs team color}}Career history
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 |-
 | colspan="2" style="text-align: left" |
-*4× NBA champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007)
+*5× NBA champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)
 *3× NBA Coach of the Year (2003, 2012, 2014)
-*6× Western Conference champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013)
+*6× Western Conference champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2014)
 *3× NBA All-Star Game head coach (2005, 2011, 2013,2014)
 |-
 |}
-'''Gregg Popovich'''  (born January 28, 1949) is an [[American]] [[professional basketball]] [[head coach]] for the [[San Antonio Spurs]] of the  [[NBA]].
+'''Gregg Popovich'''  (born January 28, 1949) is an American [[professional basketball]] [[head coach]] for the [[San Antonio Spurs]] of the  [[NBA]]. Popovich currently holds the longest tenure in the [[NBA]] with {{age|1996|1|1|{{CURRENTYEAR}}|1|1}} years as Head coach of the [[San Antonio Spurs]].
-Popovich, of Serbian origin, is a 1966 graduate of Merrillville High School and a 1970 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He played basketball for four seasons at the Academy, and in his senior year was the captain and the leading scorer. He graduated with his bachelors degree in Soviet Studies, and then served five years in the Air Force, during which he toured Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, and played basketball with the U.S. Armed Forces Team. In 1972 he was named captain of the Armed Forces Team, which won the AAU championship; this earned him an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic team training camp.
+Pop, of Serbian origin, is a 1966 graduate of Merrillville High School and a 1970 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy . He played basketball for four seasons at the Academy, and in his senior year was the captain and the leading scorer. He graduated with his bachelors degree in Soviet Studies, and then served five years in the Air Force, during which he toured Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, and played basketball with the U.S. Armed Forces Team. In 1972 he was named captain of the Armed Forces Team, which won the AAU championship; this earned him an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic team training camp.
 He returned to the Air Force Academy as an assistant coach in 1973, a position he held for 6 years. During this time, Popovich attended the University of Denver and obtained his Masters Degree in Physical Education and Sports Sciences. In 1979, he was named head coach of Pomona Pitzer's men's basketball team. He moved to the NBA and the Spurs in 1988, serving as an assistant coach to Larry Brown, with whom he remains close friends. He moved to the Golden State Warriors for a brief stint in 1992, serving as an assistant under Don Nelson.
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 [[Category:Coaches who won the NBA Championship]]
 [[Category:NBA All-Star participants]]
+[[Category:NBA Coach of the Year award winners]]
+[[Category:Born in 1949]]