After 23 years as head coach of the Utah Jazz, making him the longest tenured coach in any of the four major pro sports, it appears Jerry Sloan‘s career has come to an end. According to a report in the Deseret News, Sloan will resign later today along with his long-time assistant, Phil Johnson. Here’s what’s been reported:
The news comes after the Jazz lost to Chicago in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, where former Jazz players Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer helped the Bulls escape Utah with a 91-86 win.
After the game, Sloan didn’t come out of his office for a postgame interview until about a half-hour after his team lost for the 10th time in 14 games.
The Hall of Famer, who usually talks to reporters about 10 minutes after the final buzzer, had been in a discussion with general manager Kevin O’Connor.
“We just had something we had to discuss,” Sloan said, “and we’ll talk to you all later on about that.” A major part of the discussion, however, was the possibility of a trade in the works.
Sloan had signed a one-year contract extension on Monday that would have kept him in Utah through the 2011-12 season. He has 23 seasons of service with the Jazz, making him the longest-tenured coach in any of America’s four major sports.
UPDATE: NBA TV and NBA.com will present live coverage of the Utah Jazz’s press conference from the Zions Bank Basketball Center in Salt Lake City today at 5:00pm EST.
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