Jerry Sloan Press Conference Scheduled For 5 P.M.; Resignation Announcement Expected

Jerry Sloan will conduct a press conference at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Thursday, during which he is expected to announce his resignation as the head coach of the Utah Jazz. The press conference will occur at the Jazz's training facility, according to Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune.

The news of Sloan's resignation comes via the Deseret News in Utah. It occurs one night after Sloan had a 30-minute discussion in his office with Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor following the team's 91-86 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Sloan, who usually emerges quickly to talk to the media, did not come out for a long time. When he did, he appeared shaken and said that he would have news on his future in the morning.

Sloan was the longest-tenured coach in professional sports, having coached the Jazz for 23 seasons. He has only had one season in which his team finished with a losing record (2004/05, when they went 26-56), and has made the playoffs in 20 of those 23 years.