Jerry Sloan, Phil Jackson Turned Down Blazers Head Coaching Job

The Blazers targeted Jerry Sloan and Phil Jackson for their vacant head coaching position and, according to Comcast Sports, were turned down by both. Sloan took himself out of the running for the Blazers’ head coaching job on Thursday. And last week, Jackson’s agent told the Blazers that Jackson had decided not to coach this season. GM Neil Olshey is pushing ahead, having obtained permission to interview Indiana assistant Brian Shaw for their head coach position: “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.'”