Jerry Sloan Former basketball player and current basketball coach, head coach of the NBA's Utah Jazz. Date of Birth: 28.03.1942 Country: USA

Biography of Jerry Sloan

Jerry Sloan, born Gerald Eugene Sloan, is a former basketball player and current basketball coach. He is currently the head coach of the NBA team, Utah Jazz. Sloan was born in 1942 in McLeansboro, Illinois. Since his early childhood, Jerry had a passion for sports, particularly basketball. He would spend hours shooting hoops on the basketball court. His love for basketball continued throughout high school, where he was the captain of the school team for several years.

After graduating from high school, Sloan received an invitation from the University of Illinois to attend their training camp. He was then offered a scholarship to continue his education there. However, after just five weeks, Sloan decided to return home as he missed his family. He continued his education at the University of Evansville, a small private school in Indiana. During his time there, Sloan played for the university basketball team and became the top scorer for three seasons under the guidance of renowned coach Arad McCutchan.

Sloan led the university team to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship twice and was also selected for the Division II All-American team. He was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the 1964 NBA draft, but he chose to stay in college for another year. In the 1965 NBA draft, Sloan was selected again by the Baltimore Bullets, but this time he decided to join the team. However, after his first season, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls.

During his career with the Chicago Bulls, Sloan played in the All-Star Game twice and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team four times. He was known for his defensive skills and fast break attacks, which helped the Bulls make it to the playoffs. Interestingly, the Bulls' only championship before the arrival of Michael Jordan was achieved while Sloan was on the team. Even after retiring, Sloan still holds the 10th position in the NBA for most steals per game.

Sloan's playing career ended due to multiple injuries and knee problems. In 1976, he briefly coached the basketball team at the University of Evansville, but left just five days into the job. Unfortunately, the entire basketball team, including the coaching staff, tragically died in a plane crash that season. Two years later, Sloan joined the Chicago Bulls as a scout. He then became an assistant coach and eventually took over as the head coach after the previous coach was fired.

Sloan's tenure as head coach of the Bulls was not very successful, with only one playoff appearance in three seasons. After a poor start to the third season, he was fired. He then worked as a scout for the Utah Jazz, where he established himself as an experienced specialist. In 1988, Sloan was hired as the head coach of the Jazz, replacing the recently retired Frank Layden. Under Sloan's leadership, the Jazz became a successful team, winning their division and conference multiple times. They reached the NBA Finals twice but were defeated by the dominant Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan.

Sloan became the first coach in NBA history to achieve 1,000 wins with the same team. He also holds the record for the longest coaching contract in professional sports. Despite his success, Sloan never won the NBA Coach of the Year Award, which attracted criticism from the media.

Today, at 68 years old, Sloan still enjoys the game of basketball and has no plans to retire. After the death of his first wife, Bobbye Sloan, in 2004, he remarried Tammy Jessop in 2006. In 2009, Jerry Sloan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.