Gregg Popovich has won four NBA championships in 12 seasons as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. (Matt Slocum/Associated Press)It remains to be seen whether the San Antonio Spurs will be playing for their second consecutive championship this season, but their coach will be around for several more years.
Gregg Popovich confirmed his contract extension through the 2011-12 season prior to Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
The Spurs wound up dropping Game 4 by a score of 93-91 and as a result, find themselves on the verge of elimination from the playoffs. But Popovich has been one of the league's most successful coaches during his tenure with the Spurs, which began in 1996.
His career in San Antonio has run parallel to that of the team's power forward Tim Duncan and the pair have combined for four NBA titles, in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. Last season, the Spurs cruised to a dominating four-game sweep of Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Popovich became the Spurs' head coach in December 1996 after serving as the team's general manager since 1994. During his 12 seasons as head coach with the Spurs, he's compiled a regular-season record of 632-302 (.677).
With files from the Associated Press
