Sloan also is one of only three coaches in NBA history with 15-plus consecutive seasons with a winning record (Pat Riley and Phil Jackson, both with 19, are the others).

As a player with the Bulls, Sloan averaged 14.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 755 games over the 11 seasons. Nicknamed "The Original Bull" because he was selected in the 1966 Expansion Draft, Sloan was known for his toughness and grit. He was the only player in NBA history to average 7-plus rebounds and 2-plus steals per game for his career.

Sloan recorded two triple-doubles in his career. A knee injury prematurely ended his playing days in 1976.

Sloan has been known for his straightforward answers and wry sense of humor.

He conducts his pregame interviews next to a plastic trash receptacle rather than at a podium.

"You never know when you might be in it," he quipped before Wednesday's game. "It's why I stand here. You take what you get."

He leaves after what started off as a promising season. The Jazz started 15-5, but January struggles continued into February.

His resignation comes just two weeks after the second-longest tenured professional coach, Jeff Fisher, parted ways with the Tennessee Titans after a 6-10 season.

Even knowing he had coached his last game, Sloan managed to regain his composure Wednesday night.

"We're not looking to trade anybody," he said. "We're looking to try to make our team hopefully better on the floor [and want] guys [to] accept the responsibility that it takes to be good every day," he said.

Sloan had signed a one-year contract extension on Monday.

Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin will be taking over the team. Assistant Phil Johnson, who like Sloan was in his 23rd season with the Jazz, also resigned.

Sloan said during the news conference that stepping down was his decision and that the team had tried to talk him out of it. But he says it's time to move on.

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What does Jerry Sloan's resignation as Jazz coach mean for point guard Deron Williams' future? Story

• Dr. Jack Ramsey:
Sloan will be missed

Sloan kept reporters waiting more than half an hour after Utah's loss to the Chicago Bulls Wednesday as he met with his assistants and general manager Kevin O'Connor. The Jazz then announced that Thursday's practice had been abruptly canceled.

Sloan said he made his decision to leave early Thursday.

Two sources close to the situation told ESPN.com's Marc Stein that Sloan reacted angrily during Wednesday night's home loss when guard Deron Williams called a play on the floor that was different from the one Sloan called from the sideline.

That led to an emotional dispute at halftime, sources said, which was followed by Sloan's closed-door meeting with O'Connor after the game.

Sloan was asked after Wednesday's game if there was need for a shake-up.

"I don't think there's any great need for panic," he said. "Kevin is always evaluating what we can do or what someone wants to do with another team and that's part of the business. Every day that's part of his job."

But one source stressed that the play-calling flap was just one incident among a number of flare-ups in recent weeks, indicating Sloan's relationship with Williams has been deteriorating.

The 68-year-old Sloan is the longest-tenured head coach in any of the four major sports. Although he signed an extension for next season, he said that he would not make a decision about returning to the team until after the 2010-11 season was complete.

Television station KSL first reported on its website that Sloan and assistant coach Phil Johnson planned to announce their resignations.

This is Sloan's 23rd season as Utah's coach. He started with the Jazz as a scout in 1983-84 season and one year later was an assistant under Frank Layden. He led Utah to the NBA Finals twice, losing to the Bulls both times.

Sloan, who succeeded Layden in 1988, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2009.

Before joining the Jazz, Sloan coached the Bulls for two full seasons and part of a third. He has a career coaching record of 1,221-803 -- a .603 winning percentage -- and a playoff record of 98-104.

Sloan Among NBA's Winningest
Jerry Sloan is third all-time in NBA coaching wins and was tops among active NBA coaches as of Thursday.

Coach Wins Titles
Don Nelson 1,335 0
Lenny Wilkens 1,332 1
* Jerry Sloan 1,221 0
Pat Riley 1,210 5
* Phil Jackson 1,134 11
* Active heading into Thursday
Longest-Tenured NBA Coaches
How long has Sloan been coach in Utah? When he took over the Jazz on Dec. 8, 1988, 40 current NBA players hadn't even been born.

Coach Hire Date
Jerry Sloan, Jazz Dec. 9, 1988
Gregg Popovich, Spurs Dec. 10, 1996
Doc Rivers, Celtics April 29, 2004
George Karl, Nuggets Jan. 27, 2005
* Phil Jackson, Lakers June 14, 2005
* Second tenure with Lakers
"Jerry moves on having established himself as one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history," NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement. "I and the rest of the NBA family wish him great success and happiness as he moves to the next chapter of his life."

As a player, Sloan spent most of his 11-year playing career with the Bulls. He was an NBA All-Star in 1967 and 1969 and was named to the NBA's all-defensive first team four times.

He is the only coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games with one team, a feat he accomplished Nov. 7 against Oklahoma City.

While he has headed the Jazz, there have been 245 coaching changes around the league -- 13 alone by the Los Angeles Clippers, and five current NBA teams (Charlotte, Memphis, Toronto, Orlando and Minnesota) did not even exist when Sloan took the helm in Utah