If it seems like
Jerry Sloan has been in Salt Lake City it's because he has -- at least relative to the rest of his peers: he's in the midst of his 20th season coaching the Jazz, the longest tenure of any coach in all of the major professional sports leagues. On Monday, the Jazz front front office did their part to help ensure that he'll be around for at least 21 years, signing Sloan to a one-year extension through next season.
Why only one year? It seems that's all Sloan wants to commit to at the moment: he's 65 years old and isn't sure when the retirement bug is going to bite. In fact, despite the extension, there's no real guarantee that
this year won't be his last. From
Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune:
Even after the extension was announced, Sloan once again reserved the right Monday to wake up one morning and change his mind about continuing to coach. That's exactly the situation the Jazz are hoping to avoid in this whole thing.
In reality, Sloan has a date by which he was to commit to returning for the next season. I believe it's sometime after the end of the playoffs and before the Jazz sit down for organizational meetings.
Jazz Extend Jerry Sloan Through 2009 - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog