Gregg Popovich Married Mary Budenholzer, Whose Ex-Husband Was His Longtime Assistant Coach
San Antonio Spurs legend Gregg Popovich has married Mary Barth Budenholzer, confirmed by the Bexar County, Texas, clerk’s office — setting off widespread attention because Budenholzer’s ex-husband, Mike Budenholzer, served as one of Popovich’s assistant coaches for nearly two decades.
An Unusual but Genuine Coaching Connection
Mike Budenholzer worked under Gregg Popovich with the Spurs from 1996 to 2013, a remarkable run that covered some of the franchise’s most dominant years. During that span, the Spurs won four NBA championships and established themselves as the gold standard for sustained excellence in the league. Mike Budenholzer later became head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns, capturing his first title with Milwaukee in 2021.
The personal and professional overlap between the Budenholzers and Popovich is unusual by any measure. Mary Budenholzer and Mike Budenholzer are reported to share four children and divorced in 2016. Gregg Popovich, who was married to Erin Popovich for four decades until her death in 2018 at age 67, has two children and multiple grandchildren.
Popovich’s Record-Setting Career
Popovich coached the Spurs from 1996 until stepping down in May 2025 after 29 seasons — compiling a league-record 1,390 regular-season victories and 170 postseason wins, alongside five NBA championships. A member of the Spurs’ front office since 1994, he currently serves as the team’s president of basketball operations and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
The Budenholzers’ marriage adds a personal footnote to one of the most storied coaching relationships in NBA history. Mike Budenholzer’s rise from Spurs assistant to championship-winning head coach in Milwaukee and Phoenix underscores the depth of talent Popovich helped develop.
Health Scare and the Coaching Transition
On November 2, 2024, Popovich suffered a stroke before a game at Frost Bank Center, the Spurs’ home arena. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson was named interim coach at the time. That role became permanent on May 2, 2025, when Popovich stepped down after nearly three decades on the sideline. Johnson, who worked closely with Popovich during his tenure, inherited a roster and organizational culture built over Popovich’s quarter-century of leadership.
Popovich’s Legacy and the Road Ahead
Popovich’s influence extends far beyond his win total. He helped draft and develop Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili, Kawhi Leonard, and numerous other players who shaped the modern NBA. His emphasis on team basketball, selflessness, and international scouting changed how franchises approach roster construction.
As president of basketball operations, Popovich remains a central figure in San Antonio’s future decisions. Meanwhile, the Spurs face the challenge of competing in a league that has grown increasingly physical and athletic under new coaching leadership.
What This Story Tells Us About Basketball’s Interconnected World
The Budenholzer-Popovich connection illustrates how tightly NBA careers are woven together. Assistant coaches under Popovich have gone on to lead franchises across the league, and the personal relationships forged during those years sometimes extend into marriage and family. Mary Budenholzer, a native of Corpus Christi, now finds herself at the center of one of the sport’s most fascinating personal sagas — tied by marriage to the man whose coaching tree spans the entire NBA.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
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