Gregg Popovich life and biography

Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and the second longest among the Big Four sports leagues behind St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. He is often referred to as "Coach Pop" or simply "Pop."

CAREER:

Has led the Spurs to four NBA Championships in his 13 seasons as the team’s head coach (1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007) … one of five coaches in history with four-or-more NBA Championships (along with Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, John Kundla and Pat Riley) … enters the 2009–10 season with a career mark of 686-330 … career winning percentage of .675 ranks third in NBA history (behind Jackson and Billy Cunningham) … posted his 600th career win vs. Minnesota on January 12, 2008 … did so in his 887th career game, making him the third fastest coach in NBA history to reach the 600 win mark (behind Jackson and Riley) … coached his 1,000th career game on March 16, 2009 at Oklahoma City … playoff career winning percentage of .618 (102- 63) is the fifth best in NBA history and his 102 playoff wins are the third most in league history (behind Jackson and Riley) … named the 2003 NBA Coach of the Year … has been named the NBA Coach of the Month 10 times (4/99, 3/01, 3/02, 1/03, 3/03, 12/03, 12/05, 3/06, 3/07 and 11/07) … has led San Antonio to the NBA’s best regular season record three times (1998–99, 2000–01 and 2002–03) … coached the Western Conference in the 2005 All-Star Game … the Spurs all-time leader in both regular season and playoff wins … a 1970 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in Soviet studies … played four seasons at the Air Force Academy … as a senior was the team’s captain and leading scorer … following his graduation in 1970 served his five-year military commitment … during that time toured Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces Team … selected to represent the U.S. on the national AAU Team touring the Soviet Union … in 1972 was the captain of the Armed Forces team, which won the AAU Championship … earned an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team Training Camp … in 1973 returned to the Air Force Academy as an assistant coach … spent six years at Air Force during which time he obtained his master’s degree in physical education and sports sciences from the University of Denver … in 1979 was named the head coach at Pomona-Pitzer in Claremont, California … spent the next eight seasons at Pomona … during the 1985–86 season led the team to its first conference championship in 68 years and to a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament … while at Pomona was an active member of the school’s academic community, working as an associate professor, chairing the college’s Student Life committee, serving on the Women’s Commission and even – for one year – living in a dorm with his family … moved to the NBA in July of 1988, joining the Spurs as an assistant coach as a member of Larry Brown’s staff … spent the next four seasons in San Antonio with a Spurs team that won a pair of Midwest Division titles … in the summer of 1992 was named an assistant coach on Don Nelson’s staff with Golden State … spent the next two seasons with the Warriors … returned to San Antonio on May 31, 1994, as the Spurs executive vice president of basketball operations/ general manager (served as GM for eight full seasons before turning the job over to R.C. Buford on July 1, 2002) … named the Spurs head coach in December of 1996 … served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball’s Men’s Senior Team for three consecutive summers (at the 2002 World Basketball Championship, the 2003 FIBA America Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2004 Olympic Games) …

PERSONAl:

A very active member of the San Antonio community … in 1991 teamed with Frank Martin to create the Spurs Youth Basketball League … today the league plays at 75 locations in and around San Antonio … over 20,000 boys and girls – ages 7 to 16 – played in the league in 2007–08 … prior to every game, each participant takes the Drug-Free League pledge, promising to remain drug and alcohol free while showing good sportsmanship and fair play … in February of 1992, President Bush awarded a Daily Point of Light Award to the Spurs Drug-Free League … is involved in several charities in the San Antonio area including the San Antonio Food Bank, Roy Maas’ Youth Alternatives and the Kids Sports Network … honored by the Air Force Academy with its Distinguished Graduate Award in 2007 … he and his wife of 34 years, Erin, have been blessed with two children, Micky and Jill.

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