It's a sad day in the NBA as reports have been confirmed that longtime Utah Jazz coach, Jerry Sloan, is resigning. Sloan, was the longest tenured coach in all of professional sports, having coaching the Jazz for the past 23 years.
In a time in which teams change coaches like Manny Pacquiao changes weight classes, that's saying something. The society we live in is obsessed with flash and Hollywood stars, many people have probably never heard of Jerry Sloan nor do they appreciate what he has been doing in the NBA for the past couple of decades. This is not surprising since Sloan coached in Salt Lake City, a city not exactly on top of the list for the next season of MTV's Real World.
Truth is, Sloan was never fully appreciated among those who follow the NBA. During his time in Utah, Sloan became 3rd all-time in coaching wins. He racked 1,221 total victories before he resigned. Despite only one losing season, 8 division titles and two trips to the NBA Championship while with the Jazz, Sloan never won a "NBA Coach of the Year" award. Jerry Sloan was able to create a culture of winning in Utah even after high-profile superstars Karl Molone and John Stockton had left. This is impressive because NBA free agents aren't necessarily jumping at the chance to take their talents to Utah. Sloan took the players he was given and turned them into winners.
Now it seems this old school coach may no longer fit in with the new age, pampered athletes we see today. Apparently, Sloan and all-star point guard Deron Williams got into an argument after Wednesdays loss to the Chicago Bulls. It is rumored that Sloan called a play and Williams ignored his coaches orders and ran his own play.
Unfortunately, today's athletes believe they are bigger than the game and lack respect for their coaches and those who came before them. In Sloan's press conference he stated, "my time is up". When your players won't let you do your job, I suppose it is. Sloan resigned, he did not retire. This leaves a chance for a comeback. I hope to see him pacing down the sidelines in the future and if we as fans are lucky enough to see Jerry Sloan coach again, hopefully this time we'll appreciate the accomplishments we are witnessing and show this hall of fame coach the respect he deserves.
If you're interested in learning a little more about Jerry Sloan, ESPN has a great article about him.
Was shocked to see this news today. I think it's one of the most overlooked accomplishments in the history of sports when you consider Sloan had a .600+ career winning percentage in one of the worst markets in the country for attracting free agents. He will be missed by basketball purists.
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