Besides, tragedy would be something like your high school sweetheart dying of cancer after 41 years of marriage. Jerry publicly dealt with six years of his wife fighting cancer by getting a little misty-eyed and choked up during a press conference on the topic, starting a charity for the cause, and then going back to work.
When asked where his cornered hyena tenacity comes from, he traces it back to his father dying. From the age of four, he realized that he was on his own. "Nobody’s gonna raise you, you’ve gotta raise yourself." His mother was busy working to financially support him…and nine other siblings. His coaching style and key player choices are soaked with these philosophies.
Utah, with its small market and budget, has trouble attracting and keeping big name talent, so Jerry doesn’t bother chasing them. Many top draft options over the years have publicly stated they would never play in Salt Lake City.
This is just fine with Jerry. He would probably force a trade within one season of picking up an Allen Iverson or Dennis Rodman, both of whom were considered in trade deals at one time. He prefers to coach underdogs with something to prove to themselves and the rest of the world every night. Guys like John Stockton, Carlos Boozer, Jeff Hornacek, and Karl Malone suit his style much better.
Nobody can argue that the Utah Jazz’s coach for life, Jerry Sloan, is soft. If some ignorant fool attempted to suggest such a thing in Jerry’s presence, it would likely result in expletive decorated tirade preceding a head butt to the nose. Not that this behavior makes him any more of a man, it’s just who Jerry Sloan is.
His reputation for being a foul-mouthed, hard-nosed, no B.S. basketball coach has surprisingly endeared him to his ultra-conservative franchise owner Larry Miller. Miller, who recently turned the franchise management reigns over to his son due to illness, has rarely attended basketball games on Sunday due to his Mormon religion. He has, however, entrusted Jerry with his $350 million franchise for over 20 years, even when the fans have not.
It seems absurd that the longest tenured coach for any team in any professional sports league ever has fans who question his worthiness for such a position.
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