The Golden State Warriors are interested in bringing Jerry Sloan out of retirement to take over the job vacated by the firing of Keith Smart, reports Marcus Thompson III of the Contra Costa Times. Sloan resigned from the Utah Jazz in February after 22 years on the job, just weeks before the Jazz traded superstar point guard Deron Williams and began a rebuilding era.
Sloan, 69, has said he's not interested in returning to the NBA, but reports have suggested he could be persuaded to make another run with a new team. Sloan's Jazz run was stunningly long by NBA standards; the Warriors, for example, had 11 different head coaches over Sloan's tenure in Utah.
This rumor, however, seems wholly unlikely, and, given the presence of Monta Ellis on the Golden State roster, completely laughable. Reports have indicated Warriors owner Joe Lacob would seek a young, rising coach if Smart were replaced. Lacob announced on Wednesday that the Warriors would not retain Smart, who served as a Golden State assistant for seven years before taking over the head coach spot last summer.