NBA coaching legend Phil Jackson is back in the league - sort of. The Detroit Pistons announced Thursday night that Jackson has agreed to help the team in their search for a new head coach.
Jackson's help comes as a favor to his longtime friend, Pistons owner Tom Gores. Jackson will work closely with the Pistons' president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, in the following months to vet potential coaches, according to the team's official website.
"Phil Jackson and Tom Gores are friends," Mark Barnhill, a partner in Gores' Platinum Equity firm side. "Based on that relationship, Phil has agreed to provide advice and counsel on the coaching search and immediate basketball needs. He will be in Detroit next week as a resource to Joe Dumars, who is leading the search."
The union between Jackson and the lottery-bound Pistons is expected to be a short-term, one-time deal. Jackson's advisory role is informal and came about after frequent, casual conversations about the Pistons basketball club with Gores.
"Phil Jackson is a friend and one of the best minds in the business. We are thrilled to have him as an adviser as we make some very important decisions for this franchise. Joe (Dumars) and I discussed this and he and I are in full agreement that this is a great opportunity," Gores added.
Detroit fired coach Lawrence Frank in April after two losing seasons. The team hasn't reached the playoffs since a sweep in the 2009 first round.
Gores grew up in Michigan and later made a fortune when he founded Platinum Equity, a private equity firm. He purchased the Pistons in June 2011.
Jackson, who won a record 11 NBA rings as a coach, recently revealed he had prostate cancer in 2011. He's rumored to want to return to the NBA in a front office role, although it is unlikely to be with the Pistons.
A spokesman said, "Phil's role is to advise Joe, Tom and the ownership team, not to assume a formal position inside the Pistons organization."
