The Portland Trailblazers coaching search continues after they were turned down by two legendary coaches, Jerry Sloan and Phil Jackson. Â Read more after the jump.
The Portland Trail Blazers attempted to snag former Utah Jazz coach, Jerry Sloan, out of retirement this week by formally offering him their head coach position in Salt Lake City.
Sloan later turned down the offer, but that wasn’t the Trail Blazers first big swing at a Hall-of-Fame coach.
For the last few months, the Trail Blazers have been in back-and-forth discussions with Phil Jackson in an attempt to persuade him to take their head coaching vacancy, a close source said.
Last week, Jackson’s agent, Todd Musburger, informed the Trail Blazers that Jackson was flattered, but has decided he would not coach this upcoming season.
Olshey confirmed that the organization did chase Jackson, but wouldn’t comment further on the matter. However he did have this to say, “He (Phil Jackson) decided it wasn’t time.â€
Jackson, 66, was rumored to have been close to accepting the Orlando Magic’s general manager position but did not take that position, as well.
The Zen Master coached 11 NBA Championship teams (Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers), was the All-Star Game coach four times, and won the NBA Coach of the Year Award once in 1996.
