Sloan, Jazz agree on contract extension

Jerry Sloan will return as the coach of the Utah Jazz for the 2009-10 season.

The Jazz said Sunday that Sloan had agreed to a one-year contract extension that will mark his 22nd season at Utah. Details of the contract were not available.

Sloan is the longest-tenured coach in NBA history after taking over for former coach Frank Layden on Dec. 9, 1988.

This season, Sloan became the first NBA coach to win 1,000 games with one team. Since Sloan’s hiring, there have been 225 coaching changes in the NBA and every team has made at least two changes except for Utah.

“We appreciate Jerry’s continued commitment,” Jazz President Randy Rigby said in a statement. “His coaching style, approach to the game and values portray everything we could ever look for in a coach.”

The Jazz, 24-17 this season, has never won an NBA title but has had 16 consecutive winning seasons and twice reached the NBA Finals during Sloan’s tenure.

Etc.

Toronto Raptors center Jermaine O’Neal, who returned from a nine-game absence Friday night, sat out Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Suns to rest his sore knee. He is listed as probable for today’s game at Atlanta. Toronto guard Jose Calderon was sidelined for the eighth time in nine games because of a hamstring injury.