Sloan takes name out of running for Portland

Published Jul. 12, 2012 4:29 p.m. ET

foxsports

Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan said he interviewed Wednesday for the Portland coaching job but has removed himself from consideration.

Sloan said Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey flew to Salt Lake City to interview him. However, Sloan called the team Thursday to pull out.

“I talked to them yesterday,’’ Sloan said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon with FOX Sports Florida. “But it just didn’t work out on my part.’’

Sloan said he didn’t want to give reasons as to why the position didn’t ultimately interest him.

Sloan had told FOX Sports Florida in May he wanted to return to coaching after being out since resigning from Utah in February 2011. Since then, he also has interviewed for the Charlotte job, but he pulled out of the running for that one as well.

Sloan said he has not talked to any other teams besides Charlotte and Portland. He has not been contacted by Orlando, the only other team along with the Trail Blazers that doesn't currently have a coach.

The Trail Blazers are looking for a coach after having fired Nate McMillan last March and Caleb Kaneles finished the season as an interim coach.

“I was a candidate,’’ Sloan said about Olshey coming to Salt Lake City for what Sloan considered a formal interview.

Sloan, who led the Jazz to the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals and was named to the Hall of Fame in 2009, was asked to what degree now he wants again to be an NBA coach.

“It depends what I’m doing,’’ said the no-nonsense Sloan.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at christomasson@hotmail.com
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