Jerry Sloan is ready to return to the NBA and has expressed interest in the open Charlotte Bobcats and Orlando Magic coaching positions.

The former Utah Jazz coach, who resigned during the 2011 season after 23 seasons with the team, told the Salt Lake Tribune on Tuesday that he has talked to Bobcats owner Michael Jordan about his team's vacancy and could meet with him as soon as this week.
Earlier Tuesday, Sloan expressed interest in the Magic opening in an interview with Fox Sports Florida, calling the job "intriguing" despite the uncertainty surrounding star center Dwight Howard and the Magic's vacant general manager position after the outster of Otis Smith.

Sloan said he wasn't deterred by the lowly status of the Bobcats, who won an NBA-worst seven games last season.

"Obviously, you probably wouldn't win (a title) right off the bat," Sloan told the Tribune. "But sometimes it's not all about starting on top."

If he were to be hired in Charlotte, Sloan would be working for the man who helped to deny him his two best shots at an NBA title. Sloan led the Jazz to the NBA Finals twice (1997 and 1998), only to lose to Jordan's Chicago Bulls.

The 70-year-old Sloan told the newspaper that he feels "terrific" and said he'll "stay out of the way" while teams determine if he's a possible fit.

"If there's some interest in me, fine. If there's not, I understand that, too," Sloan told the Tribune.
Sloan ranks third all-time in regular-season NBA coaching victories with 1,221. Former coaches Lenny Wilkins (1,332) and Don Nelson (1.335) are the only two to have more regular-season victories than Sloan.

He is the only coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games with one team. Sloan's other wins came with the Bulls from 1979 to 1982.

Sloan told Fox Sports Florida that he needed a break from basketball when he left the game in 2011, resigning after a loss to the Bulls.

"I worked (26) years (as a coach). It was time for me to move on and see what was going in the world. That's been kind of interesting. But I still have that void of basketball," Sloan told the regional sports network.
http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story/_/id/7962438/ex-utah-jazz-coach-jerry-sloan-eyes-charlotte-bobcats-orlando-magic-jobs

I wonder if he'd be interested in the Knicks job had this organization at least decided to consider/interview other candidates.

ramtour420 wrote:Did he wait until we offered Woodson a deal to announce this on purpose ?

GustavBahler wrote:I wish Sloan had spoken up sooner. The fact that at his age that he would even consider the Bobcats job shows how badly he wants to coach again.

Sloan had indicated he would consider the Knicks in at least one article in the few days after MDA resigned.

GustavBahler wrote:

loweyecue wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:I wish Sloan had spoken up sooner. The fact that at his age that he would even consider the Bobcats job shows how badly he wants to coach again.

Sloan had indicated he would consider the Knicks in at least one article in the few days after MDA resigned.

If I remember correctly there were some stories about being interested in returning to coaching from second hand sources but I don't remember him being quoted directly and naming teams. I could be wrong though. Wish they had approached him anyway.

They should have waited to talk to Doc Rivers as well, looks like the magic will try to do that. After 4 years o a coach who focused mainly on one side of the ball, we couldn't wait to give a contract to another one. Wat a complete ****ing joke this franchise is.

loweyecue wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:

loweyecue wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:I wish Sloan had spoken up sooner. The fact that at his age that he would even consider the Bobcats job shows how badly he wants to coach again.

Sloan had indicated he would consider the Knicks in at least one article in the few days after MDA resigned.

If I remember correctly there were some stories about being interested in returning to coaching from second hand sources but I don't remember him being quoted directly and naming teams. I could be wrong though. Wish they had approached him anyway.

They should have waited to talk to Doc Rivers as well, looks like the magic will try to do that. After 4 years o a coach who focused mainly on one side of the ball, we couldn't wait to give a contract to another one. Wat a complete ****ing joke this franchise is.

Doc would have been a great choice if he was available. Was his contract about to expire?

He will have a challenge with Tyrus Thomas, but he needs some guidance, and Sloan just might be able to bring the best production out of him.
They seem like coachable players, without the "ALL Star" Mentality that Carmelo Anthony and would not tolerate.
Maggette was hurt majority of the year, as their "best" veteran.
But they will get more draft picks and their rookies got a taste of the NBA, and it will be up to them to practice and train this summer.
I can see them getting much better over the course of time, with Sloans guidance.

I think DJ Augistine is gone, 2 small PG's/ combo guards, just won't work together as liabilities.
Kemba Walker will be given the keys just like Augistine was given the opportunity after Felton.

Everything I know about Sloan and the way he coached and the relationship he had with Larry Miller I can't imagine NY would be the place for him.

He was an institution in Salt Lake.

The guy is a strong values man and a tough SOB.

Can't think of a worse guy for MSG to employ. Thats a compliment on him BTW.

KNick Fans love to superimpose the success of a coach who had past glory and extrapolate that into a knick future.

Don't we ever learn?

This is not ATL or Utah! We don't have those players on the roster so why think the result would be similar?

Have some imagination that the past experience of Woodsons playing days (played a bit under Holzman for what its worth) under Bobby Knight and lead assistant under Larry Brown in Detroit as well as doing a good job in ATL, and a year with MDAs might be the kind of learning experiences that could make the next really good coach.

The idea is not hire a man after the fact. The idea is to hire a man entering his coaching prime.

The circumstances for Woodson are very good. Give him a chance.

Nalod wrote:Maybe woodson will be the next Doc Rivers?

Everything I know about Sloan and the way he coached and the relationship he had with Larry Miller I can't imagine NY would be the place for him.

He was an institution in Salt Lake.

The guy is a strong values man and a tough SOB.

Can't think of a worse guy for MSG to employ. Thats a compliment on him BTW.

KNick Fans love to superimpose the success of a coach who had past glory and extrapolate that into a knick future.

Don't we ever learn?

This is not ATL or Utah! We don't have those players on the roster so why think the result would be similar?

Have some imagination that the past experience of Woodsons playing days (played a bit under Holzman for what its worth) under Bobby Knight and lead assistant under Larry Brown in Detroit as well as doing a good job in ATL, and a year with MDAs might be the kind of learning experiences that could make the next really good coach.

The idea is not hire a man after the fact. The idea is to hire a man entering his coaching prime.

The circumstances for Woodson are very good. Give him a chance.

Guess I won't hold my breadth.

There's no "after the fact" in coaching. It's not a function of age, coaches get better with age not worse. No one said we have ATL or Utah players, but like anything else in sports you judge people based on what they have accomplished. When it comes to the playoffs Woodson has accomplished jack sh!t.

Doc Rivers is under contract for like 3 more years. He signed a 5 year extension in 2011. Waiting for him is not an option.

Bottom line here: Woodson earned the job in his audition. Yes, it's a short sample size but that's what interim coaching terms are.