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San Antonio City Council will consider renaming the San Antonio International Airport after legendary former coach Gregg Popovich.
In a request filed Wednesday, Councilman Manny Pelaez has asked the issue to be discussed at a future council meeting. The potential name would be the San Antonio Gregg Popovich International Airport.
“Coach Popovich’s impact on San Antonio is immeasurable,” wrote Pelaez in the request, noting the winningest coach in NBA history’s legacy.
Pop’s time with the Spurs includes five NBA championships, an Olympic gold medal, and an impressive coaching tree that extends through the league.
Popovich stepped down as head coach of the Spurs earlier this month after 30 years running the franchise. He had suffered a stroke in early November and has had other medical difficulties in recent months. He was then elevated to President of Basketball Operations.
Spurs Sports and Enterntainment declined to comment on the proposal.
Before his NBA career, Popovich served in the United States Air Force, which, Pelaez writes, broadens the Hall-of-Famer's connection to Military City, USA. Popovich attended the Air Force Academy and then served five years of active duty.
Popovich’s outspokenness on national issues around race, social justice and his opposition to President Donald Trump may throw cold water on the effort. Other luminaries honored with an airport dedication like Bob Hope, Louis Armstrong, John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart arguably played well with all crowds.
“Muhammad Ali had some provocative political views,” said Pelaez in response. "If political views were a disqualifier, then nobody would have their name on an airport."
Louisville, Kentucky adopted the name of the fighting champion and iconoclast in 2019.
Coach Pop has been an integral part of the San Antonio community for three decades," said conservative councilman Marc Whyte. "I'm certainly interested in discussing [the name change] with my colleagues as well as the residents of San Antonio."
San Antonio is in the midst of a billion-dollar expansion of the airport, as it adds a new terminal. Four other councilmembers signed on to the Council Consideration Request, including Sukh Kaur, John Courage, Adriana Rocha Garcia, and Terri Castillo.
The request would need to be added to the agenda of the Governance Committee and then passed on to the full council. Three of the signatories are exiting the council in coming weeks and won't be present for a deciding vote, but Pelaez said he hoped the next council would go through with the proposal.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
