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Report: Phil Jackson open to return to NBA coaching

The ex-Lakers coach is reportedly on the short list of names to try and fill the Lakers coaching vacancy.

Ronald Martinez

Ex-Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he is open to the idea of coaching a NBA team again, ESPN reported on Friday.

Jackson's name came up in the rumor mill almost immediately after the Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Mike Brown a mere five games into the season. The Lakers have opened the season with a 1-4 record.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said that the team has already put together a list of replacements and supposedly Jackson is on the short four- or five-name list. As of Friday afternoon, the Lakers hadn't contacted Jackson.

Jackson is the all-time winningest coach in NBA championship history with a total of 11 titles on his mantle, five with the Lakers and six with the Chicago Bulls. Jackson coached the Lakers from 1999 until 2011. He retired after the 2011 season and underwent knee replacement surgery earlier this year.

The coaching search will be a quick one, according to Kupchak, although the team doesn't have a timetable yet.