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I’ve been a fan of the Utah Jazz for as long as I can remember, and for as long as I can remember, Jerry Sloan has been the coach.  Tonight, with a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Coach Sloan won his 1,000 game with the Jazz.  That is more than any other coach with a single team.  As someone who’s watched many of those games and grown up watching the Jazz, I would like to thank Jerry for the memories.

As a coach, Jerry is hardnosed, demanding, and disciplined.  He expects the same out of his players.  While I’m not sure that he’s a great game manager (he’s good, not great), I think his biggest strength as a coach, in my opinion, is his ability to develop players, especially young players.

This ability to develop players has been a great asset to Jerry over the past three years as he has coached one of the youngest, most talented teams in the NBA.  They are also probably the deepest, most athletic team that has ever suited up for the Jazz.  Players like Deron Williams, CJ Miles, Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap, DeShawn Stevenson, Bryan Russell, Donyell Marshall, and many others have grown and developed under the tutelage of Sloan.  The Jazz are championship contenders because of Sloan’s coaching and his players’ belief in his system.

The outlook for the Jazz is bright.  At 5-0, they are at the top of their division and playing well without Deron Williams, their best player.  They are 9 players deep, and their core group of guys have all embraced the roles that they have been assigned, giving Jerry all kinds of lineup options.  Need defense?  Play Millsap, AK, Brewer, Memo, and Deron (or Knight).  Need offense?  Play CJ, Korver, Boozer, Memo, and Deron (or Price).  There are many combinations to be had that can be successful in certain situations.

A couple of changes that Jerry has made this year that I never thought he’d make are to play small, athletic lineups and play a lot of zone defense.  Both have made the team more dangerous and more dynamic.  Sloan is often seen as an old-fashioned coach; however, with this young, athletic team, he has shown the ability to change things up and play a more modern style.  For this he deserves a lot of credit.

I know Jerry doesn’t want the credit, but I want to thank him for what he’s done for the Jazz.  Here’s to many more victories, Jerry…many, many more.