San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich Named Coach of the Year

On Tuesday the NBA announced that San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was named the Coach of the Year after leading his team to a 50-16 regular season record and the No 1 seed in the Western Conference.

For the last few seasons analysts have been trying to write the Spurs off as too old. As Tim Duncan got older the general perception was the team would begin to wither as his abilities did. Instead, Popovich has kept the Spurs competitive and among the NBA's best. This season he has the team primed for a run at a fifth NBA title.

''Pop has done a terrific job molding a mix of experience and inexperience,'' Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.

The San Antonio Spurs finished the regular season as hot as a team can be winning their last nine games and scoring at least 100 in every game. For the month they were 13-2 and scored more than 100 in all but three games. The only two games they lost were ones in which Popovich gave his stars the night off.

Popovich received 77 votes. Chicago's Tom Thibodeau was a distant second with 27. It's the second time he has won the award; the first time was for the 2002-03 season; incidentally, the Spurs won the NBA title that season.

San Antonio fans are likely hoping in this case that lightening will strike twice.

Article by Travis Pulver