Gregg Popovich (born January 28, 1949 in East Chicago, Indiana) is the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. He is often referred to, by players, media, and fans, as "Coach Pop" or simply "Pop."

Popovich, whose father was of Serbian descent, graduated in 1970 from the United States Air Force Academy. He played basketball for four seasons at the Academy, and in his senior year was the team captain and the leading scorer. He graduated with his bachelors degree in Soviet Studies, and he underwent Air Force intelligence gathering and processing training. He even considered a career with the Central Intelligence Agency.

Popovich next served his required five years of active duty in the United States Air Force, during which he toured eastern Europe and the Soviet Union with the U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Team. In 1972, he was selected as the Captain of the Armed Forces Team, which won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championship. This earned him an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team trials