When the 2025-26 NBA season tips off, Mitch Johnson will begin his role as full-time head coach for the San Antonio Spurs. Johnson took over as interim following Gregg Popovich’s leave of absence, and then was promoted to full-time after Popovich announced he was stepping down. And there will be a new face on the sideline as well. Sean Sweeney will join Mitch Johnson’s staff on the Spurs as an assistant coach, as per Shams Charania of ESPN.

Early last week, rumors suggested that multiple teams, including the Spurs, were trying to lure more than one assistant coach from Jason Kidd’s staff on the Dallas Mavericks. Sean Sweeney was one of the names that was mentioned, and it appears as if the Spurs were successful. Sweeney will take on a new role under Johnson, that of associate head coach.

Sweeney got his start as an assistant coach in the NBA during the 2013-14 season alongside Kidd with the Brooklyn Nets. He then followed Kidd to the Milwaukee Bucks for four seasons until Kidd was dismissed as Bucks head coach. Sweeney would spend three seasons as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons, until reuniting with Kidd ahead of the 2021-22 season when Kidd became head coach of the Mavericks.

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Johnson was named interim head coach of the Spurs after Popovich stepped away just about one week into the 2024-25 season. At the helm, Johnson finished with a record of 32-45. He was originally hired as an assistant coach with the Spurs ahead of the 2019-20 season after a stint with the Austin Spurs, the franchise’s G League team.

The Spurs have an interesting offseason ahead, beginning with the NBA Draft this upcoming week where they hold the No. 2 overall pick. The team has a chance to add another potential impact player alongside a strong trio of Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. Both Wembanyama and Castle are Rookie of the Year award winners.