Jazz assistant wants to stay with team, Sloan

Kevin O'Connor had a smile on his face Friday morning, and it wasn't so much because the Utah Jazz had just finished working out three down-the-road-type draftable big men at the Zion's Bank Basketball Center.

"Hohhh! Thank you!" said O'Connor, the Jazz's VP of basketball operations.

That's what he said was his reaction when Phil Johnson told him that he had removed his name from consideration for the Toronto Raptors' head-coaching position.

O'Connor was quite pleased that Johnson will remain with Utah and added, "I know the players are, I know (head coach) Jerry (Sloan) is and I know (team owner) Larry (Miller) especially is."

Johnson has been Sloan's top assistant for 16-plus years with the Jazz and before that spent almost nine seasons as an NBA head coach. He was NBA coach of the year while at Kansas City-Omaha.

Johnson had indicated interest when contacted by the Raptors — he said he owed it to his family to check it out — but he informed Jazz personnel that he had withdrawn his name from consideration on Thursday night.

"That doesn't mean they offered me the job," he said quickly after making a public statement about the situation.

Johnson said he consulted his family and decided this is "not the time" for him to leave the Jazz and Sloan, whose wife, Bobbye, has been battling pancreatic cancer diagnosed in January. "It's a game-by-game, day-by-day situation," Johnson said of the Sloans' predicament. He spoke with Sloan by phone Thursday night. The Sloans are at home in McLeansboro, Ill.

Johnson, 63, a native of Grace, Idaho, who played and coached at Weber State and Utah, added that he has a unique position with the Jazz as one of few NBA assistants who have a direct relationship with the team owner. Miller has said many times that he has told Johnson he will be Utah's next coach, whenever Sloan decides to step away.

Other Toronto coaching candidates include former Denver assistant John MacLeod, Detroit assistant Mike Woodson and Dallas assistant Del Harris. The team is also seeking a general manager.

WORKOUTS: The Jazz took a look at three players in the 6-foot-10 and 6-11 height range Friday, none of them likely to be next season's starting power forward or center. They are most likely future considerations, either as players the Jazz might draft this year but leave in Europe or elsewhere for awhile or as insurance in case they make a trade and wind up with a second-round selection this season.