Gregg Popovich is married again, and the new chapter comes with a familiar San Antonio connection.
TMZ Sports reported that the longtime Spurs coach tied the knot with Mary Barth Budenholzer, the former wife of Mike Budenholzer, in a private ceremony in Bexar County, Texas. According to the marriage license obtained by TMZ, the couple exchanged wedding rings on September 16.
Budenholzer is no stranger to Popovich’s inner circle. She was once married to Mike Budenholzer, who spent 17 seasons with the Spurs organization and worked closely with Popovich during a stretch that helped San Antonio win five NBA championship rings, according to the report.
Popovich, 77, has been a widower since the death of his first wife, Erin, in April 2018. The two were married from 1976 until 2018.
Mike Budenholzer, 57, served as a Spurs assistant coach from 1996 until 2013 and was part of four NBA championship teams in San Antonio. He later went on to become head coach of the Hawks from 2013-18, then coached the Bucks from 2018-23, winning a championship in Milwaukee.
He was also named NBA Coach of the Year twice. His most recent head-coaching job was in Phoenix from 2024-25.
He and Mary Barth divorced a decade ago.
Popovich spent 1996 through 2025 as the Spurs’ head coach, winning five NBA titles and earning Hall of Fame recognition. He officially retired in May 2025 and moved into a new role as president of basketball operations.
Mitch Johnson took over as San Antonio’s head coach and led the Spurs to an NBA Finals appearance last June.
In Other News...
Dukes Loaded Roster Faces One Question That Could Define The Season
Duke enters the season with the kind of roster that usually makes opposing coaches uneasy and beat writers busy. Seniors Caleb Foster and John Blackwell are back, junior Patrick Ngongba II returns, and freshmen Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr add even more talent to a group already defined by size and depth. There are multiple players on hand who can credibly take meaningful minutes, which is part of what makes this team so intriguing before the games even start.
The question is how that abundance gets managed once the schedule tightens and the stakes rise. Deep college basketball teams are rare, and even the most talented ones often have to narrow things down when the pressure mounts, which is why Dukes rotation will be one of the defining storylines of the season. The talent is obvious; the challenge is deciding how much of it can actually fit when the biggest moments arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Bye Week Could Reshape The ACC Race Fast
Duke heads into its bye week at 4-0, sitting among a small group of unbeaten ACC teams after stacking up wins over Illinois, Tulane, Stanford and William & Mary. For a program trying to stay relevant in a conference that still feels wide open, the timing matters almost as much as the record, because the Blue Devils can watch the rest of the league shift around them without having to take a snap.
North Carolinas home game against No. 3 Notre Dame adds another layer to the league picture, while Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech both enter the week at 4-0 and are positioned to meet the same kind of pressure Duke is temporarily avoiding. When the dust settles, one of those unbeaten ACC peers will have been forced into a tougher spot in the standings, and Dukes quiet week could end up feeling a lot more important than it looks right now. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Opens With One Big Test For Both Programs
Duke swimming and diving will get its 2026-27 season underway Friday at 5 p.m. against Davidson, a meet that offers an early look at where both programs stand after a strong spring. The women finished tied for 21st at last seasons NCAA Championships, while the men ended up fourth at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships, giving head coach Brian Barnes a solid base as he enters his fourth season.
There is also plenty of turnover for Barnes to manage right away, with 16 freshmen arriving and graduate transfer Alex Seybold coming over from Cal Poly. The staff will have a fresh face, too, as Colin Gibson has joined as an assistant coach, adding another layer of change to a roster that will be under the microscope from the first weekend of the season. [Read more 🡒]