Popovich ends legendary legacy as Spurs coach

The San Antonio Spurs will no longer have Gregg Popovich as its coach.

Popovich, who has spent 29 seasons with the team, announced Friday that he is stepping down from the helm.  

Known for establishing a winning tradition for the ball club, the decision comes at a time when Popovich has suffered from medical issues.

The Hall of Famer temporarily stepped away from the coaching position in November after suffering a mild stroke. Although he spent the time afterward recovering, multiple news outlets said that Popovich reportedly fainted at a San Antonio restaurant in mid-April. 

He was old school — in his methods of teaching and coaching — but in a game filled with flash, it worked.

The winningest coach in the NBA brought home five championship trophies, along with 1,422 regular season dubs, according to a news release by the ball club. 

"While my love and passion for the game remain, I've decided it's time to step away as head coach," Popovich said in a statement. "I'm forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me."

He now begins his transition as President of Basketball Operations for the Spurs. Meaning, even though he won't be coaching from the sidelines like the old days, he'll still be around.

Mitch Johnson was announced as the replacement coach.