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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz announced Wednesday that former head coach Jerry Sloan has been hired by the organization in an "official capacity."
The Hall of Famer coach was hired by the organization as the Senior Basketball Adviser for the team.
Greg Miller, CEO of the Jazz, first tweeted the announcement Wednesday afternoon, saying: "I am pleased and honored to have Jerry Sloan back in the Jazz family in an official capacity."
Jazz President Randy Rigby made the announcement official on 1280 The Zone later that afternoon, introducing Sloan as the new Senior Basketball Adviser. Rigby said the organization extended a multi-year deal to Sloan, but the exact contract details have not been released.
"To have a basketball mind, to have a hall of fame coach and to have Jerry back with the team is a great honor," Rigby said.
"The basketball knowledge and experience that Jerry brings is invaluable, and his insights will help in our pursuit of becoming a championship-caliber team," Rigby added. "We are pleased to formally welcome Jerry back into the organization as an adviser."
The basketball knowledge and experience that Jerry brings is invaluable, and his insights will help in our pursuit of becoming a championship-caliber team.
–Randy Rigby
Sloan said he continues to be a fan of the organization and was happy to return in some part with the team.
"I'm happy to be here and back in the organization," he said. "I'm looking forward to it."
Sloan said he had been in discussion with head coach Tyrone Corbin for about a year, but was not specifically looking for a position with the organization. Although the position will be new to Sloan, he said he's grateful for the "opportunity to get back into basketball."
"I am glad Jerry is going to continue to be involved with our organization," Corbin said in a prepared statement. "We will benefit from his wealth of basketball experience. I am looking forward to his continued contributions."
Sloan stressed he was not taking the role as an adviser to get in the way of Corbin or to try to get back in coaching.
"In my new role with the Jazz franchise, I hope to help the operations staff and Ty in any way that I can achieve their goals," Sloan said. "I would like to thank the Miller family for the opportunity to be part of the organization again."
In my new role with the Jazz franchise, I hope to help the operations staff and Ty in any way that I can achieve their goals. I would like to thank the Miller family for the opportunity to be part of the organization again.
–Jerry Sloan
Earlier this month, Sloan told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News that he had had preliminary discussions with the Jazz for an unspecified position.
"That's up to (them). That's a situation that's strictly up to Ty or somebody in the Jazz organization," Sloan said at the time. "If they want me around, fine. If they don't, (Fine). They'd talked to me a little bit about it a little bit earlier."
Since leaving the organization mid-season in 2011, Sloan has stayed close with the team, attending nearly every home game. Sloan also has worked closely with Jazz management at the team's Pre-Draft Combine in Chicago and and some pre-draft workouts at Zions Bank Basketball Center.
Sloan was a head coach for the Utah Jazz for 23 years, leading his team to 19 playoff appearances, two NBA Finals appearances and seven division titles. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 11, 2009.
