Mitchell Chase Johnson (born November 29, 1986) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. He replaced Gregg Popovich, who stepped down after 29 seasons.
๐ Early Life and High School
Johnson was born in Seattle on November 29, 1986. He is the son of former NBA player John Johnson, who won the 1979 NBA Finals with the Seattle SuperSonics, and Jenny Redman.
From 2002 to 2005, Johnson played for O’Dea High School under coach Phil Lumpkin, where he was the team captain. During his time at O’Dea, he was a four time All-Metro selection, three-time All-area honor, two-time All-State, an MVP of state tournament and Metro Conference MVP.
๐ซ College Career at Stanford
Johnson played at Stanford University for the Cardinal from 2005 to 2009. He graduated with a degree in sociology.
Johnson played 30 games during his freshman season, starting in 20 of them. During his freshman season, he recorded a total of 98 assists and 25 steals, which is the second most on the team.
During Johnsonโs sophomore season, he played 31 games and started 20 games. He recorded 103 assists, the second most on the team, while leading the team in steals with 29.
Johnson played in all 36 of his teamโs games while starting in 35 games. Johnson achieved his first college double-double on March 13, with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Arizona.
Johnson started all 32 games in which he played. He achieved more than 500 career assists on March 5, winning against Arizona State.
๐ Professional Playing and Early Coaching
After leaving Stanford, Johnson went undrafted in the 2009 NBA draft. He joined the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA D-League on November 1, 2009 and played in seven games before he was waived a month later.
Before coaching for the Austin Spurs, Johnson was a coaching intern for Seattle University in 2011. He became an assistant coach for the Portland Pilots at the University of Portland.
๐ NBA Coaching Career
Johnson started his NBA coaching career as an assistant coach with the Austin Spurs in 2016. Johnson won the G League Championship with the Austin Spurs in 2018.
On September 20, 2019, the San Antonio Spurs hired Johnson to be an assistant coach for head coach Gregg Popovich. He was promoted by the Spurs to be a full-time assistant coach on November 12, 2020.
On May 15, 2021, Johnson was the interim head coach in a 140โ103 loss against the Phoenix Suns. Johnson was the interim head coach again in a 110โ99 win against the Indiana Pacers on March 2, 2023.
On November 2, 2024, Popovich was sidelined indefinitely from coaching due to a health issue, and Johnson became the Spurs interim head coach. Johnson served as the interim head coach until the end of the 2024-25 season.
On May 2, 2025, Johnson was promoted to become the head coach of the Spurs, following Popovich’s decision to step down after 29 seasons. The NBA announced on July 2 that they would credit the 32โ45 record of the remaining 77 games to Johnson.
๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ Personal Life
Johnson and his wife, Jessica, have four children, Tasia, Tatum, Johnnie and Jameson.
| Category | Detail | Year | Team/Organization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | Born in Seattle | 1986 | N/A |
| High School | Team captain at O’Dea High School | 2002-2005 | O’Dea High School |
| College | Graduated with sociology degree | 2005-2009 | Stanford University |
| First Interim Head Coach | Interim head coach in loss to Phoenix Suns | 2021 | San Antonio Spurs |
| Promotion to Head Coach | Promoted to head coach | 2025 | San Antonio Spurs |