Deron Williams Chases Jerry Sloan Out of Utah: Will the Jazz Be Out of Tune?

Reports are coming out that last night during halftime of the Utah Jazz loss to the Chicago Bulls, there was an altercation between MVP candidate Deron Williams and coach Jerry Sloan. Today, just days after signing a one year extension with the team, Jerry Sloan abruptly left as head coach of the Utah Jazz. 

Sloan's loss to the Jazz can be easily overlooked. Few systems in the NBA were so intricately tied to the coach. His system was the Jazz, and the primary reason for their success. His flex offense was one of the most complicated. His teams year in and year out were hugely  successful, even if they never won a ring. 

His life time coaching record is an eyebrow raising 1221-803. His 209 wins over .500 is fourth in NBA history. His win total ranks third, behind only Lenny Wilkins and Don Nelson. He is very much a part of the conversation for the top 10 coaches of all time.

Not only is the Utah's style tied to Sloan's system, the success is a direct result of 23 years of coaching. During that entire time Sloan had only one losing season. It's hard to imagine that the Jazz will actually improve now that Slaon is gone. His resignation is the death knell of the Jazz, and their smooth jazzy play will turn to a funeral dirge.

It is hard to fathom why the Jazz, if confronted with a choice, would choose Williams over Sloan. What makes this even more striking is that Sloan once decreed that he trusted Williams running his offense more than he trusted Stockton. 

It will be interesting to see what happens if the Jazz system survives and how the team prevails now that Slaon is gone. If the Jazz play out of tune, then the conductor, Deron Williams, will be blamed. That could bring on grief from the Jazz fans, who are among the most passionate in all of sports. 

I can't imagine what those fans must be going through now as this news is absolutely stunning. Nearly a quarter century of history just ended without warning. It will be worth keeping an eye on in the near future and through the season to see how the city responds to it. Will they support Williams or will they feel it's time to see him traded out of town? 

Either way, the fact is that one of the really great coaches in the game, and perhaps the last of the breed of "old school" coaches has possibly coached his last game. Even those of us who are not Jazz fans find that strident music.