Gregg Popovich is the NBA’s coach of the year

Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs did what they normally do this year -- quietly pile up wins in the Western Conference.

But this year, for only the second time in his 16 years as a head coach, Popovich is being recognized for his achievements by being named the NBA’s Coach of the Year.

Popovich ran away with the honor, garnering 77 first-place votes. Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau came in second (27 first-place votes), followed by Indiana’s Frank Vogel (seven) and Memphis’ Lionel Hollins (six). Boston’s Doc Rivers and Denver’s George Karl got one vote each.

After getting off to a 12-9 start, the Spurs lost just seven more times this season on the way to 50 wins and the top seed in the conference during the lockout-shortened season.

Popovich has led the Spurs to four NBA titles (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) but received coach-of-the-year honors only in 2003.

“If you can draft David Robinson and follow that up with Tim Duncan, that’s a couple of decades of very, very possible success unless you just screw it up,” Popovich said. “So it’s hard to take credit when circumstances have gone your way so consistently.”

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Gregg Popovich is the NBA’s coach of the year