Jerry Sloan resigned his position as head coach of the Utah Jazz after 23 seasons and 1,221 wins, Thursday. The resignation comes amidst rumors that Sloan’s relationship with star point guard, Deron Williams, was in shambles. And while it’s upsetting to see such a loving relationship end so close to Valentine’s Day, I can see why Deron was growing impatient with his coach. Have you seen Sloan’s thighs lately? They look like curdled cottage cheese.
“I had a feeling this time was the time to move on,” an emotional Sloan said during a Thursday afternoon news conference. “[That’s] a long time to be in one organization. Again, I’ve been blessed. Today is a new day. When I get this over with, I’ll feel better. My time is up and it’s time to move on.”
Two sources close to the situation told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that Sloan reacted angrily during the home loss when guard Deron Williams called a play on the floor that was different from the one Sloan called from the sideline.
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. –ESPN.com
Sloan, who became the Jazz’s head coach before the Berlin Wall came down, was the NBA’s longest tenured coach before his resignation. With 1,221 wins, Sloan will retire as the third winningest coach in NBA history, trailing Don Nelson and Lenny Wilkens. Between them, the three coaches have 3,888 wins and one NBA Title, which goes to show just how important the NBA regular season really is.
