Jerry Sloan has a 1,221-803 record in 26 seasons as an NBA coach.

Kirby Lee/US Presswire

After talking to Jerry Sloan back in early January for a story about his potential return to the NBA, one thing was clear in my mind about the Hall of Fame coach: He wanted back in.

Sloan, who resigned as Utah coach midway through last season after 23 seasons, hadn't come right out and said that directly. The NBA's third-winningest coach (1,221-803) was still enjoying his time away from the game, whether he and his wife, Tammy, were living on his farm in Illinois or back in his Utah home. But the strong signs that he wanted to coach again were there, and they've all come true in recent weeks as he is officially back in the coaching mix.

The 70-year-old Sloan, who insists his energy has returned to the levels required to do the job his way, discussed his coaching candidacy as well as the NBA playoffs in an interview with SI.com on Thursday. As Sloan indicated, he has spoken with Bobcats owner Michael Jordan about Charlotte's coaching position and will meet with team officials on Friday in Utah for a formal interview.

SI.com: Where do things stand with your coaching future?

Sloan: I'm supposed to talk to Charlotte tomorrow, and beyond that I haven't talked to anybody else.

SI.com: Are you 100 percent interested in that job, or is this a two-way feeling-out process at all?

Sloan: I wouldn't talk to them if I wasn't interested. I wouldn't waste their time. That's not something I'm interested in doing. But I have no idea, and they probably have no idea about me, so I don't know. I guess that's why we're meeting.

SI.com: What about the Orlando situation? It was reported that you had interest there. Have you spoken to the Magic yet?

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Sam Amick: Sloan eyes return to coaching