Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
After a halftime clash with star pg Deron Williams during last nights game, apparently Jerry Sloan had finally had enough. A long season of backroom bickering with his star player has led to Sloan ending his coaching tenure with the Utah Jazz.
The longest tenured coach in pro sports along with his longtime assistant, Phil Johnson, resigned together on Thursday. The Jazz planned a 5 p.m. ET news conference to officially make the announcement. Ty Corbin will be given the job in an interim capacity, that is expected to be made permanent in the near future.
Sloan had alluded to the fact that something was wrong, after delaying his post game press conference Wednesday for more than a half an hour to meet with the general manager.
He appeared shaken when first talking with reporters, and said more would be forthcoming Thursday.
The team also immediately sent out a text saying that a Thursday practice had been canceled.
Sloan has been head coach of the Jazz since 1988, his tenure was longer than the existence of 5 teams (Memphis, Toronto, Orlando, Charlotte, and Minnesota). Sloan also saw an astounding 245 head coaching changes in the NBA during his tenure.
Sloan leaves third all time in wins, and has the only man to ever win 1,000 games with a single team.
It is truly a sad day for the league and its fans. Jerry Sloan is an all-time great, this is one fan who wishes he could have gotten a ring.