Legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has officially added another ring to his storied collection, though this one comes far away from the NBA hardwood. The 77-year-old Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer has remarried. The new Mrs. Pop is Mary Barth Budenholzer. The last name is no coincidence. That’s the ex-wife of his longtime former assistant coach and protégé, Mike Budenholzer.
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According to a marriage license filed in Bexar County, Texas, and obtained by TMZ Sports, the newlyweds exchanged wedding vows on September 16. While the news sent shockwaves through basketball circles due to the close personal and professional history shared between Popovich and the Budenholzer family, sources close to the situation indicate that all parties involved have long moved forward into new chapters of their lives.
The union marks a personal milestone for Popovich, who stepped away from his 29-year tenure as the head coach of the Spurs in May 2025 following a spate of health issues. Popovich’s retirement allowed his successor, Mitch Johnson, to take the reins and guide San Antonio, led by franchise cornerstone Victor Wembanyama, all the way to an NBA Finals appearance last June.
Pop transitioned into the role of team president but did step into the film room to guide Victor Wembanyama, Mitch Johnson, and the young Spurs through their first deep postseason run.
Though the Spurs organization declined to issue a formal comment on Pop’s private nuptials. Yet fans across San Antonio have celebrated the happy news for the iconic bench boss.
Gregg Popovich’s quiet relationship history
Very rarely has Pop’s personal life, aside from hanging out with his favorite player, Tim Duncan, played out in public. Coach Popovich and his late wife, Erin, were married for 42 years till her death in 2018 from a long illness.
He has two children, Micky and Jill. Popovich described Micky as “an artist and musician from Seattle.” Jill is a Spurs icon who famously saved the Spurs in the 2013 Finals series in just one pep talk. Pop’s kids also lead private lives.
To understand the intrigue surrounding the marriage, one must look back at the deep, interconnected timeline shared by Popovich and Mike Budenholzer over the last three decades.
Mike Budenholzer served directly on Popovich’s coaching staff in San Antonio for nearly 20 years, spanning from 1996 through 2013. During that prolific run, Budenholzer worked side by side with Pop as a primary architect of the Spurs dynasty, helping guide the organization to four NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007).
Mary Barth Budenholzer was a constant presence alongside her then-husband throughout those championship seasons, building close ties with the tight-knit Spurs community and Coach Pop’s inner circle.
Budenholzer eventually left San Antonio in 2013 to launch an elite head coaching career of his own, taking the helm for the Atlanta Hawks before leading the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021, and later coaching the Phoenix Suns.
In 2016, Mike and Mary quietly finalized their divorce after over two decades of marriage.
Reports claim that Popovich and Mary have grown closer over the years since their divorce. The two began making subtle public appearances together, including sitting side by side at several Spurs home games in San Antonio.
With Mike Budenholzer also moving forward into a new long-term relationship, the romance between Popovich and Mary flourished, culminating in their late-summer wedding in Texas.
Having conquered the coaching ranks with 1,390 career regular-season victories—the most in NBA history—and five championship rings, Popovich’s newest ring signifies a heartwarming fresh start alongside a partner who shared in the early days of the Spurs’ legendary run.