What happened to Gregg Popovich and who will coach San Antonio Spurs? Latest on veteran coach's health

Just two weeks into the regular season, Gregg Popovich has been forced to step away from the San Antonio Spurs. News surfaced Monday morning that the legendary coach will be away for at least the next two games.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Popovich suffered a "health issue" over the weekend. He's already been ruled out to the miss the Spurs two upcoming games this week. With Popovich away from the team, assistant coach Mitch Johnson has been chosen to serve as the interim in the meantime.

Gregg Popovich has been head coach of the Spurs since 1996, and is the oldest coach in the NBA by a wide margin. In two months, the five-time champion will celebrate his 76th birthday.

Led by reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, the new-look Spurs are .500 to start the year, posting a 3-3 record through their first six games. Following these recent developments, the team will now have to stay afloat while they wait for updates on their head coach.

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Chris Paul applauds Spurs assistant for filling in for Gregg Popovich

The first game the San Antonio Spurs were without Gregg Popovich was Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite their coach dealing with an undisclosed illness, the team was able to come together and pull out a 113-103 victory over Anthony Edwards and company.

After the win, Spurs guard Chris Paul touched on the situation at hand. He applauded Mitch Johnson and the entire coaching staff for how they navigated this sudden change.

"Mitch did a great job, man," Spurs guard Chris Paul said after Saturday's win. "I think our whole coaching staff [did]. Things happen within this league all the time and just like with the players, it's next man. So, shoutout to Mitch; he did a great job tonight."

Paul, who signed with the Spurs as a free agent this summer, finished with a double-double in San Antonio's win over the Timberwolves. In 32 minutes of action, he scored 15 points and dished 13 assists. However, Keldon Johnson was the biggest standout for the Spurs with 25 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

Mitch Johnson is already penciled in to coach the Spurs' next two games, but it could end up being much longer. Gregg Popovich will be away for an indefinite amount of time as he gets his health back in order.

Johnson has been within the Spurs organization for years but has primarily served as an assistant. His tenure began in 2016 with the organization's G-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. Then, in 2019, Popovich made the decision to bring Johnson up to serve on his staff at the NBA level.