Spurs Legendary Ex-Coach Gregg Popovich Marries Ex-Wife Of Assistant Coach

by Arop KualSeptember 29, 2026, 7:06 pm >

Former San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich recently got married to Mary Barth Budenholzer, the ex-wife of his longtime assistant coach, Mike Budenholze.

According to a Bexar County marriage license, Popovich and his wife married on Sept.16 in Texas.

Popovich won four NBA championships with the Spurs (1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007) with Budenholzer as his assistant coach. Following the 2013 NBA Finals, where the Spurs were defeated by the Miami Heat 4-3, Budenholzer would take the head coaching job with the Atlanta Hawks.

Budenholzer spent 17 seasons on Popovich’s staff in San Antonio (1996-2013), where he started off as a video coordinator before becoming the lead assistant coach.

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After a stint in Atlanta, Budenholzer would begin coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, where he would bring the franchise its first NBA Finals in 50 years when the Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in 2021. Budenholzer would then coach the Phoenix Suns during the 2024-25 season. He didn’t coach in the NBA during the 2025-26 season.

Buddenholzer and his ex-wife reportedly got divorced in 2016. Popovich went through his own hardships in 2018 when his wife of 42 years, Erin, passed away following a long illness.

In November 2024, Popovich suffered a mild stroke in the arena before a home game. Medical complications forced him to step away from the bench, leading his assistant coach Mitch Johnson to take over as interim head coach.

Popovich ended his legendary NBA coaching career in 2025 after 29 seasons and finished as the NBA’s all-time wins leader. Popovich missed 77 games during the 2024-25 season due to health issues, the NBA would adjust his career record after his retirement to bring his career coaching record to 1,390-824.

While Popovich was away from the team, they finished with a 32-45 record, with Johnson acting as interim coach and later becoming the head coach.

Popovich now serves as the Spurs’ president of operations. After his retirement, the Spurs reached the NBA Finals but fell short to the New York Knicks.