Goodbye Coach Sloan

I thought yesterday, February 9th, was the worst day in recent basketball history relevant to me. My intramural team got slaughtered, the Jazz lost to a Chicago Bulls team loaded with old Jazz stars, and then to top it off my #17 Aggies lost miserably to the Idaho Vandals, effectively ending their run in the Top 25 polls. I was wondering why and how sports, that were supposed to bring joy to my life, could bring me such disappointment!

Then today when I woke up, my roommate informed me that the Jerry Sloan could possibly resign this afternoon. I refused to believe. Sloan had just signed a contract on Monday.

As the day went on, more rumors started coming out. Indeed something big was going to happen and would be announced at the 3pm press conference. Every Jazz fan, myself included, was hoping for something else besides the resignation of our famed coach, maybe the press conference would just be to announce a blockbuster trade.

Sadly that wouldn't be the case, Coach Sloan did announce his resignation. I do not remember a time when Sloan wasn't the coach of the Jazz, the fact is Jerry has been the coach ever since I was a week old! Sloan leaves the Jazz after 23 seasons, 1,127 wins, 2 trips to the NBA Finals.

Truly a sad day for all NBA fans. There will be no farewell tour, no standing ovations as he visits each arena for the last time, and sadly no championship parade for Sloan. But that is probably just the way Sloan wanted it, no fancy show, no need for extra attention. There will be rumors that Deron Williams pushed him out or that management pushed him out. I don't believe that is true, Sloan is Utah Jazz basketball just as much Karl Malone, John Stockton and Larry H. Miller are Utah Jazz basketball. No one could push him out, Sloan would go when he wanted and for Sloan it was time.