Just to keep the board up to date with official info, yes in addition to the contract extension he recently signed, dipstick Pop got a promotion of sorts along with the organizational rearrangements. This should ensure the Tim Duncan era and any chances at a repeat or 3 of 4 will continue to be squandered away. Here are the details.
SAN ANTONIO, July 15, 2008 ? Spurs Sports & Entertainment announced today that Rick Pych has been promoted to president of business operations and Gregg Popovich was named President of Spurs basketball in addition to serving as head coach. Additionally, R.C. Buford has been promoted to president of sports franchises and will continue as Spurs general manager.
?Through the leadership and guidance of Rick Pych, Gregg Popovich and R. C. Buford, Spurs Sports & Entertainment has thrived and excelled both within the organization and throughout our community,? said Holt. ?Their insight, passion and commitment to this organization have made Spurs Sports & Entertainment a true model of sports leadership and success.?
All business operations for Spurs Sports & Entertainment will now be led by Rick Pych. In his new role, he will oversee the marketing, sales, finance, communications and corporate development for the organization?s business initiatives. Pych has been with the franchise 15 years, most recently as executive vice president of finance & corporate development. He led the franchise through the development and construction of the AT&T Center as well as the organization?s overall strategic planning and its financial positioning.
As a result of his many successes with the team, Gregg Popovich has been promoted to president of Spurs basketball as well as continuing as the team?s head coach. In 11 seasons as head coach, Popovich has led the Spurs to four NBA titles and is one of five coaches in NBA history with four-or-more championships. He owns a career regular season record of 632-302, and a career winning percentage of .677 which ranks third in NBA history.
As president of sports franchises, Buford will continue to handle all the general manager duties for the Spurs and additionally will oversee the sports administration of SS&E?s other franchises; the WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars, the AHL San Antonio Rampage, and the NBA D-League Austin Toros. Buford has worked on the Spurs basketball operations staff since 1994 and was promoted to general manager in July of 2002.
Holt added, ?Rick, Pop and R.C. have been at the forefront of our franchise, leading SS&E to immeasurable success. Their promotions are truly deserved and together they will lead SS&E to even greater accomplishments as we continue to grow.?
The organization also announces the promotion of Lawrence Payne to executive vice president of corporate partnerships and broadcasting. Payne has been with SS&E for over three decades and has been instrumental in building the business successes of the organization over the years. His new responsibilities will include overseeing community relations outreach and in-game entertainment in addition to corporate partnerships and broadcasting.
Additionally, Lori Warren has been promoted to senior vice president of finance and corporate administration. Warren who was has been with the franchise for 15 years, most recently as vice president of finance, will assume the additional responsibilities of human resources and corporate administration to her current duties.
?We are fortunate to have a depth of talent within our organization that can build on our past successes and blaze new paths into the future,? stated Holt. ?We will be doing that with greater focus and optimism toward new opportunities. We are excited!?
