Popovich Marries Ex-Spurs Assistant's Ex-Wife

Key points

• Popovich, 77, married Mary Barth Budenholzer on Sept. 16 in Texas, per a Bexar County license.
• Barth is the ex-wife of Mike Budenholzer, Popovich's longtime assistant coach.
• Popovich and Budenholzer coached together in San Antonio for nearly two decades, winning four NBA titles.
• Budenholzer left the Spurs in 2013 and did not coach in the NBA during the 2025-26 season.
• Popovich ended his coaching career in 2025 and now serves as the Spurs' president of basketball operations.

Background

Popovich retired from coaching in 2025 after 29 seasons, finishing as the NBA's all-time wins leader with a record of 1,390-824. He has since served as the Spurs' president of basketball operations. Budenholzer departed the Spurs in 2013 to coach the Atlanta Hawks, later leading the Bucks and Suns before not coaching in the NBA during the 2025-26 season.

How outlets are covering it

CBS Sports and WOAI both confirm the marriage, with CBS citing a Bexar County license and TMZ as the original source. TMZ's page was inaccessible, but CBS and WOAI corroborate the core facts. The outlets differ in emphasis: CBS highlights the coaching history and title wins, while WOAI frames it as a local San Antonio story. No outlet disputes the marriage or the identities involved.

Why it matters

The marriage links two prominent NBA figures through a personal relationship, highlighting the tight-knit nature of the coaching community. It also underscores Popovich's continued presence in the NBA as a team executive, even after retiring from coaching.

What to watch

No further developments are expected. The marriage is a personal matter, and no public statements from Popovich or Budenholzer have been reported. The Spurs' focus remains on the 2026-27 season under new leadership.