Austin Spurs announce Chris Kent as next head coach
The Austin Spurs, the San Antonio Spurs’ G League affiliate, have named former Florida State assistant coach Chris Kent as their next head coach.
He will be the 12th head coach in franchise history since the Spurs were founded in 2005.
Kent spent time in the G League from 2022-2025 as an assistant coach for the Windy City Bulls and Rip City Remix. He waited for someone to give him a chance in a leadership role, and he eventually found it at his alma mater, Florida State.
Florida State head coach Luke Loucks signed Kent on as director of player development for the Seminoles. They finished the season 18–15 before losing to number-one-seeded Duke by only one point, 80-79.
Kent thanked Loucks for the opportunity in his Spurs announcement post on Instagram. Loucks made sure to let people know he always trusted Kent to take that next leap.
“I always believed he had what it takes to be a head coach,” Loucks said on Thursday. “His attention to detail is second to none, and that’s one of the many reasons I knew this opportunity would come.”
Kent succeeds former head coach Jacob Chance, who was at the helm for the Austin Spurs last season. Austin finished the season 23–13, which was good enough for third in the Western Conference and a second straight playoff berth.
Chance had spent several seasons coaching in Australia before coming over last season, and his quick success in the United States led him straight back home. Over the offseason, he signed a four-year deal with his former team, Melbourne United, to be its new head coach.
No one understands the G League’s short-term nature better than Chance. He knows that anyone who steps foot on his team, player or coach, is there to prove they’re ready for the next level.
“My job was to create an environment for the players and staff to feel valued and feel like they improved,” Chance said. “That they could walk out a better coach or player.”
Kent comes in hoping to further that same message and continue the success that the Spurs have had over the last few years. In Loucks’ view, no one was better suited to fulfill those goals.
“The (Austin) Spurs are getting an outstanding coach and an even better person,” Loucks said. “I’m excited to watch Chris continue to grow.”
Austin is a great source for players and coaches for the San Antonio Spurs, who are in the midst of building a championship roster after reaching the NBA Finals last season. The head coach who preceded Chance, Scott King, is now an assistant coach for San Antonio.
That track record gives Kent more than just an opportunity to lead. It gives him a chance to continue a pipeline that has helped Austin become San Antonio’s most important developmental stop. After spending years waiting for his own opportunity, Kent now gets to help create those opportunities for the players and coaches who come through Austin.
“I’m beyond excited and grateful to be joining the San Antonio Spurs organization,” Kent said on Instagram Friday. “And continue helping people achieve their dreams and goals … the same way so many people have helped me achieve mine.”