Jerry Sloan - Resignation

Resignation

Sloan revealed on February 7, 2011, that he had earlier in the year signed a contract extension to coach the Jazz for the 2011–12 season, which would have been his 24th season as head coach with the Jazz. However, on February 10, 2011, Sloan and assistant Phil Johnson resigned their positions effective immediately. Sloan downplayed reports that conflicts with players prompted his departure. "I've had confrontations with players since I've been in the league," Sloan said. "There's only so much energy left and my energy has dropped." KSL-TV later asked Sloan whether reported conflicts with guard Deron Williams forced him to leave. "I forced myself out," Sloan responded. Williams acknowledged that he had a disagreement with Sloan during the previous night's game, but he added, "I would never force coach Sloan out of Utah. He's meant more to this town, more to this organization than I have by far. I would have asked out of Utah first."

His last NBA game as Jazz head coach came against, coincidentally, the Chicago Bulls. The Jazz lost, 91–86, on February 9, in a game with various subplots such as former Jazz forward Carlos Boozer, now a Chicago Bull, revisiting his former club, and Sloan's long association with the Bulls as a player and coach. Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin was named as Sloan's replacement.

Phil Jackson's reaction to his resignation was typical of the response from around the league:

He was stubborn, you have to be as a coach. But he had a system and the system was effective. It’s not easy to have a team in Utah. It’s not the biggest draw in the country as far as free agents to go there. And they were able to have a really great home record, played the kind of basketball that was admirable. So we all had admiration for him as coaches around the league. So as a colleague, we’ll miss him. —Phil Jackson, Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach

Nearly two weeks later, Williams was involved in a trade on February 23, 2011 that sent him to the New Jersey Nets. Without the familiar sight of Sloan on the Jazz sideline and now without an all-star talent in Williams, longtime NBA writer Ian Thomsen wrote, "First Jerry Sloan leaves, now Williams is sent away. For two decades we knew who the Utah Jazz were and what they stood for as a franchise. Now we, and they, can have no idea."

A year later Karl Malone, who played under Sloan for more than a decade, indicated that Sloan did not feel supported by Kevin O'Conner and Greg Miller.