Spurs Coach Mitch Johnson Leads Team to NBA Finals in First Full Season

San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson guided his team to a 111-103 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 on Saturday night. The victory sent the Spurs to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. Johnson, 39, took over as head coach on a full-time basis last year after serving as interim coach. In the 2025-26 season, he led the Spurs to a strong regular season record and steered the young roster through the playoffs.Before becoming head coach, Johnson spent years as an assistant with the Spurs organization. He played college basketball at Stanford and joined the Spurs coaching staff after his playing career. After the Game 7 win, Johnson credited the team's consistency over the long season and highlighted contributions from different players in key moments. The Spurs will now face the Eastern Conference champion in the NBA Finals, which begin on Wednesday. This marks a quick turnaround for the franchise and Johnson's first trip to the Finals as a head coach.