“When there’s smoke there’s at least a little bit of fire”—these wise words from Mitch Johnson echoed through San Antonio last year as rumors circulated about a potential coaching move away from the Spurs. Yet, fast-forward to November 2024, and Johnson remains with the team, now stepping into the spotlight on the NBA’s biggest stage.

The circumstances for Johnson, however, are challenging. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will be unavailable for an indefinite period, leaving Johnson to take the reins as interim head coach. Johnson will guide the team through their upcoming games on Monday against the Clippers and Wednesday against the Rockets, carrying the team forward until Popovich’s return.

Johnson has a brilliant ability to develop the players under his guidance which made his journey with the Spurs’s G League affiliates, Austin Spurs, successful. He assisted Ken McDonald and Blake Ahearn over three seasons (2016-19) in the team. His talent didn’t go unnoticed by the organizations and after he had acquired ample experience in the G League he was transferred to the bigger pond to work alongside the veteran coach, Gregg Popovich.

Mitch inherited his basketball genes from his father, John Johnson, who had over a decade of experience in the NBA during the 1970s and also has a championship title with the Seattle SuperSonics. Apart from his father, not much information is available on Mitch Johnson’s family, as he maintains a low profile on social media.

Mitch began playing the sport in 2005 as a member of the Stanford University team. After four years of hard work, he tried his luck in the 2009 NBA Draft, however, he was undrafted. So, he spent the next three years playing in the G League and Europe before finally realizing where his heart lied.

When he couldn’t follow his father’s footsteps and join the league as a player, Mitch Johnson took a turn and entered the coaching lane. The Washington-born started preparing his mindset for the journey and took the jump, which landed him in the G-League after Johnson had gathered coaching experience at the AAU level. And since then, he has come a long way.

Mitch Johnson made a triumphant impact in the absence of Coach Gregg Popovich

With less than three hours remaining on Saturday before the Spurs’ game against the Timberwolves, the franchise informed Mitch Johnson that he would need to step up as the interim coach, as Popovich was suddenly feeling unwell. Without hesitation, Johnson suited up for the role and showed his capabilities in leading the team to a 113-103 victory at Frost Bank Center.

Following the game, Chris Paul came forward to praise Johnson. “Mitch did a great job, man. I think our whole coaching staff did,” the guard stated. “Things happen in this league all the time, and just like with the players, it’s next man up. So, shoutout to Mitch; he did a great job tonight.” Johnson echoed that belief that everyone should be ready to be “the next man up”, be it the players or the coaching staff.

This wasn’t Johnson’s first time stepping into the role. During the 2022-2023 season, he had to lead the squad when Popovich fell ill. His understanding of how the system works within the San Antonio organization helped him during that time, and his composure further contributed to his success. Mitch is the next in line as the latest breakthrough from Popovich’s coaching tree, which includes the likes of Steve Kerr, Mike Budenholzer, Ime Udoka, and Doc Rivers.

After his short-lived success as the Stop-gap coach, Mitch revealed that it was Popovich’s ideology that he believed in. “Pop’s line has always been, if we do the work we are supposed to & trust the process & respect the basketball gods, the wins will come whether that’s next year, next month, next week or tomorrow,” he said as per Tom Orsborn.

Mitch Johnson will have another tough test tonight against the Clippers at Intuit Dome. But given the home team’s record in the arena, Johnson just might be able to add another W to his budding coaching CV.