[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2283]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO JERRY SLOAN

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, on February 11, 2011, the people of Utah 
received of some very bad news. On that day, Jerry Sloan announced that 
he was resigning his position as head coach of the Utah Jazz. Jerry is 
one of the most respected figures in all of sports, a Hall of Famer, 
and, for the people of Utah, an irreplaceable icon. He will most 
certainly be missed.
  Coach Sloan was born and raised in rural Illinois. He played college 
ball at the University of Evansville. And, although he began his career 
in the NBA with the Baltimore Bullets, he will always be remembered for 
his years with the Chicago Bulls. Few probably remember that Jerry was, 
in fact, the first member of the Bulls' team, having been selected in 
the expansion draft prior to the team's first season in the NBA. 
Throughout his playing career, he was known as ``The Original Bull.''
  As a player, Sloan was known for his tenacity on defense, his 
unmatched toughness, and his no-nonsense nature. Over the course of his 
career with the Bulls, he played in two All-Star Games, was named to 
the NBA All-Defensive First Team four times and the All-Defensive 
Second Team twice. After his retirement, the Bulls retired Sloan's 
jersey, the first jersey retirement in the history of the franchise.
  After his playing days were over, Jerry joined the Bull's coaching 
staff, starting out as a scout, eventually working his way up to head 
coach, a position he held for three seasons. He joined the Jazz 
coaching staff a few years later as an assistant coach. In 1988, Jerry 
was named head coach of the Jazz, and he stayed in that position up 
until last week.
  Jerry Sloan was the coach of the Jazz for 23 years. That is simply 
remarkable, not only in the modern NBA era but in the history of 
professional basketball. The NBA has seen a number of great coaches in 
its history, but none have coached the same team as long as Jerry Sloan 
coached the Jazz.
  Coach Sloan's success is even more remarkable than his longevity. In 
the 23 seasons Jerry coached, the Jazz finished with a losing record 
only one time. The team was in the playoffs in all but three of those 
seasons, and they reached the NBA Finals twice, in 1997 and 1998. Jerry 
finished his career third on alltime wins list. He holds the record for 
most wins with a single team. No other NBA coach in history has even 
approached 1,000 wins with one team. Jerry won 1,127 as coach of the 
Jazz.
  However, while Jerry has amassed an impressive pile of statistics, 
that is not what he will be remembered for. For fans of the Jazz and, 
indeed, for basketball fans everywhere, Jerry Sloan was the 
personification of old-fashioned values. As a longtime fan of the Jazz, 
I have always reveled in the fact that my favorite team has 
continuously been praised for its efficiency, discipline, and 
fundamentals. These have been the hallmarks of Utah Jazz basketball, 
and that is a direct reflection of Jerry Sloan. In an industry filled 
with agents, bright lights, and endless promotion, Jerry Sloan's Jazz 
were living proof that hard work and professionalism could trump market 
size and national popularity. In many ways, I think Utahns see the Jazz 
as a reflection of their own values and aspirations, and that is due, 
in large part, to the character of Coach Sloan.
  Jerry was never one to seek after accolades or personal attention 
during his career. For him, basketball was a job, and he was a 
consummate professional. He was brutally honest when necessary and took 
responsibility when things didn't go the team's way. No one ever heard 
an excuse from Jerry Sloan.
  Mr. President, I have known Jerry Sloan for a number of years. Quite 
simply, he is a class act. I think you have to spend some time in Utah 
to know just what Jerry Sloan has meant to our community. I want thank 
Jerry for all he has done for the State of Utah, and I wish him and his 
family the best of luck in all their future endeavors.

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