3 Most Likely Gregg Popovich Replacements

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

Gregg Popovich has little left to accomplish in his storied head-coaching career. He's been at the helm of the San Antonio Spurs for a quarter of a century, winning five NBA championships and three Coach of the Year awards along the way.

At 72 years old, the question of retirement will surround Pop once again with the Spurs eliminated from the playoffs. And this offseason makes sense as a time for him to call it a career with San Antonio's roster in flux.

Here's three likely replacement for Popovich as Spurs head coach if he does move on this summer.

Gregg Popovich Replacements

1. Becky Hammon

Becky Hammon has long been thought of as Popovich's possible replacement in San Antonio. She starred in the WNBA and made history when she was hired as the first NBA's first full-time female assistant coach with the Spurs. Hammon coached the team's Summer League squad in 2015, and she later served as the team's head coach this season when Popovich was ejected from a game, making her the first female acting head coach in league history. All of Hammon's experience so far points to her being developed as a potential Popovich successor. Promising Hammon the first look as Pop's replacement could keep other teams from poaching the talented assistant for their head-coaching vacancies.

2. Jay Wright / Bill Self

The Spurs could also go another direction by hiring a respected college coach to lead the new era. Wright and Self both have connections to the team that make them logical candidates. Wright has served as an assistant on Popovich's coaching staff for the recent Team USA Olympic squads. Meanwhile Self is a longtime friend of Spurs executive R.C Buford; and his son, Tyler, is the current GM of San Antonio's G League team. Both college coaches are revered and have led their programs to national title wins (Wright in 2016 and 2018, Self in 2008), so they could carry on the winning tradition the Spurs are known for.

3. Will Hardy

Will Hardy is another Spurs assistant possibly in line for head coach. He's had similar coaching development after being hired in 2016, coaching the Spurs' Summer League team in 2017 and serving on the Team USA coaching staff for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Hardy drew serious interest last offseason as a head-coaching candidate even at 32 years old, showcasing the young assistant's respect around the league. The Spurs' Popovich replacement could very likely come down to Hardy or Hammon, but either assistant should have their choice of head-coaching jobs if they're not tabbed as the successor in San Antonio.

Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.