Jerry Sloan: Longtime Utah Jazz coach dies aged 78
Jerry Sloan, the Hall of Fame coach who took the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, has died aged 78.
The Jazz, who Sloan coached for 23 season, announced his passing on Twitter with a photo captioned “Rest easy, coach.”
“Jerry Sloan will always be synonymous with the Utah Jazz. He will forever be a part of the Utah Jazz organisation and we join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss,” the team said in a statement.
“We are so thankful for what he accomplished here in Utah and the decades of dedication, loyalty and tenacity he brought to our franchise. … Like (John) Stockton and (Karl) Malone as players, Jerry Sloan epitomised the organisation.
“He will be greatly missed. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Tammy, the entire Sloan family and all who knew and loved him.”
Sloan revealed in 2016 he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
He spent 23 years as head coach of the Jazz and 26 as a coach in the NBA. The Jazz went to the playoffs 20 times in his 23 seasons, including back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals in 1996-97 and 1997-98.
An original member of the expansion Chicago Bulls in 1966-67, Sloan jumped to coaching after an 11-year playing career.
He was known for his hard-nosed defense as a player but also averaged 18.3 points per game in 1970-71.
Sloan was a two-time All-Star and four-time All-Defensive First Team selection.
Source: Sky Sports
