Jerry Sloan available...

[Watchman]

Out on MSN they're saying that Sloan is going to resign as the Jazz head coach. Any chance we could get him here?

[NineOhTheRino]

Jerry Sloan = Jeff Fisher

still would take him over Deacon Rolly Forbes

[coachx]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6109031

The Associated Press, citing a person with knowledge of the situation, also reported that Sloan and Johnson would resign.

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

Team officials were expected to meet Thursday to discuss a postgame incident Wednesday involving Sloan and O'Connor, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

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 his own play on the floor different from the play 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.

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.

[AHF]

Sund had better at least make a call to his agent. Sloan is a very good coach and if people are worried about intensity and discipline...

Of course, if Sloan thought Deron Williams could be challenging to get in with the program....

[niremetal]

I would bet a good bit of money that Sloan will retire if he leaves the Jazz, and will never consider coaching another team. His ties to the city and the organization just run too deep. If you heard his Hall of Fame speech or any other interview with him, he is fiercely loyal to the Jazz organization, and he doesn't strike me as the type who would change his stripes on that even if the team turned its back on him.

As an aside, it would be VERY interesting to see what the Utah fan base's reaction is to this. As another aside, no one would be talking about this if Larry Miller were still alive. With Miller, if the choice were between Sloan and Deron, then Deron would have been on the next plane out of SLC.

Edited February 10, 2011 by niremetal

[macdaddy]

Forget about talking to Sloan's agent. Let's see if we can get Deron out of there. I bet Jerry would love Jeff Teague, Zaza, Mo, Marvin and a 1st round pick.

[HawkItus]

Let me start this first.........Smoove and Teague for D Williams. Ha ha. :snowballfight:

[Seano]

Wow. So if the reports are accurate and Sloan is indeed leaving due to problems caused by a deteriorating relationship with Deron Williams, if I were the Jazz I think I'd rather keep the Hall of Fame coach and trade off the problematic player. But then again this is the NBA, the only major American sports league in which the inmates actually run the asylum, and the coaches are regarded as being secondary in importance to the players they're coaching, and to me that's just completely out of whack.

[Joker]

Wow. So if the reports are accurate and Sloan is indeed leaving due to problems caused by a deteriorating relationship with Deron Williams, if I were the Jazz I think I'd rather keep the Hall of Fame coach and trade off the problematic player. But then again this is the NBA, the only major American sports league in which the inmates actually run the asylum, and the coaches are regarded as being secondary in importance to the players they're coaching, and to me that's just completely out of whack.

If that player was Josh Smith or Josh Powell sure, but if they trade Deron Williams, they become the Cavs. Not a good idea.

[Seano]

If that player was Josh Smith or Josh Powell sure, but if they trade Deron Williams, they become the Cavs. Not a good idea.

Not necessarily. Not if they make a good trade and maximize his value.

It's about the principle of it so much as anything. You're going to let a Hall of Fame coach who's coached your team for 23 years and is acknowledged by all as being one of the finest coaches in the game resign, in favor of a problematic player who's defying his coaches wishes by freelancing and not sticking with the program? I'd say hell no, and trade Deron. It's not as if he's LeBron James or Michael Jordan, and you've got to make a stand and make the point that no one player is bigger than the program.

[benhillboy]

Jerry Sloan is simply too good for this organization.

[Sothron]

I have a hard time understanding how a great player like Deron Williams who comes from a well coached Illini background and whose never had a negative thing to say about Sloan would all of a sudden have such a toxic relationship that Sloan would resign to get out of it.

That being said, I'd take Sloan or Williams in a heartbeat. I just don't think Sloan will coach again now.

[niremetal]

Let me start this first.........Smoove and Teague for D Williams. Ha ha. :snowballfight:

I don't think this was simply a power play by Sloan. It sounds like Sloan is gone already. If it did grow out of frustration with Deron, my guess is that Deron must have the front office's backing. In other words, the fact that Sloan is resigning makes it seem certain that Deron ain't going anywhere.

[MaceCase]

It's no surprise, Deron's been bitching ever since his girlfriend was traded last season for cap savings. Plenty of pundits and Jazz fans have also been talking about how there seems to be a stressed relationship between the players, that it doesn't seem like they like each other and, get this, they were missing the leadership of Boozer. Deron went on record calling out his team before during a losing streak and they responded by going off on a win streak.....while Deron was in a suit on the bench.

Sloan stepping down is really not that big of a surprise, they've been floundering in fake contendership just like us and I guess the stress of having to deal with today's NBA player has finally gotten to him even in the stronghold of SLC.

[Bawse]

Why the hell would Jerry Sloan leave the Jazz after 200 years to take a job for the Hawks? Anywhere for that matter? I think he's done.

[AHF]

Why the hell would Jerry Sloan leave the Jazz after 200 years to take a job for the Hawks? Anywhere for that matter? I think he's done.

He is probably done but Rick Sund better make the call and find out.

[Seano]

He is probably done but Rick Sund better make the call and find out.

It'd be tough to imagine the ASG springing for the money to hire Sloan though. It seems like they prefer to get coaches on the relative cheap. I think that Larry Drew has looked pretty promising so far as a new coach, but yeah- if someone like Sloan were available and still willing to coach, it would be borderline insane not to at least give him some serious consideration and at least gauge any possible interest. So far as being a 'teacher' goes, he is one of the best if not *the* best coach in the NBA.

[frankthetank966]

He is going to retire. The game has changed.