While a lot of people are ecstatic for Becky Hammon as she finally landed a head coaching gig, others are disappointed she wasn't given a chance to coach in the NBA after her work with Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs.

Hammon recently signed a deal to become the Las Vegas Aces' head coach in the WNBA. She will stay with the Spurs until the 2021-22 season ends, and after that, she'll be taking over from Bill Laimbeer to return to the WNBA where her basketball career started.

However, many expected Hammon to become the first-ever female head coach in the NBA. The Spurs assistant actually had several opportunities for various head coaching positions in the past–most recently interviewing for the top coaching post with the Portland Trail Blazers–but she was unable to land a gig.

Now speaking to reporters after Hammon's deal with the Aces, Popovich noted that the 44-year-old tactician would have been a great fit in “several of the situations” that she interviewed for in the NBA in the past, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.

“And that happens,” Pop said on Hammon's NBA coaching opportunities not working out. “It happens to everybody that is out there interviewing. You don’t get what you want right off the bat.”

Indeed, Becky Hammon could have been a great coach in the NBA had she found the right situation. Not to mention that she has served under Gregg Popovich for eight years now and learned how to build a winning culture.

Of course it is still not the end of the road for Hammon, as a head coaching stint in the WNBA could be the boost she need to coach in the NBA in the future. For now, though, she'll have her focus on the Spurs and eventually the Aces–with which she'll try to bring in a winning mentality.