Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Tyrone Corbin is the man who will have the task to move the Jazz organization forward following head coach Jerry Sloan's resignation Thursday.
Make no mistake, this man is ready for this job. He's been on a short list for early head-coaching jobs in the NBA for the past few years. Corbin played in the league for 15 years for eight different teams, including the Jazz.
I've had tutelage from two of the greats in the game for the last seven years so I'm ready for the opportunity.
–Tyrone Corbin
Corbin spent three years playing for Utah back in the early 90s and came back as an assistant to Jerry Sloan six years ago - a position he has held ever since. It's loyalty and consistency once again for the Jazz as Corbin steps into difficult sneakers, replacing Sloan as head coach.
"I've had tutelage from two of the greats in the game for the last seven years so I'm ready for the opportunity," Corbin said.
Related:
Jerry Sloan resigns as Jazz head coach
Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan and assistant Phil Johnson stepped down from their positions effective immediately."Think about this organization, how fortunate we are that we have a guy waiting like Coach Corbin to take over," said Scott Layden, Jazz assistant coach. "I'm telling you, we've got a guy and he's a can't miss."
"He's going to be very good," said Phil Johnson, who also resigned Thursday. "He's got tremendous qualities as far as character. He's a good communicator. He's a good teacher and he's a hard, hard worker."
"It's a blessing for me that Jerry and Phil have taken him under their wing and been an influence on him," said Jazz owner Greg Miller. "I think that Ty is probably uniquely qualified to step in and pick up where Jerry left off as a coach.
"To have the first African American coach for the Utah Jazz, I mean that's significant," said former Jazz player Thurl Bailey. "I think it goes to a guy who first is a great, was a great player, is a great person, that happens to be African-American."
Corbin says he's ready to step up to the challenge.
"I'm about consistency, working hard," he said. "You come in and you try and work as well as you can every day, you try and get better every day. I will work hard. I hope my players will continue to work hard. This franchise will continue to win games."
E-mail: tkirkland@ksl.com
