Popovich, 76, suffered a mild stroke in early November which forced him to cede coaching duties to assistant Mitch Johnson.

Mitch Johnson, who was named acting head coach after Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November, now takes over head coaching duties on a permanent basis.

Gregg Popovich understood the world. That goes back long before the basketball world knew who he was. It probably can be traced to at least Popovich's time at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he majored in Soviet studies and was on his way to becoming a spy. He became an icon instead.