Jerry Sloan was a retired professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association. He is a two-time NBA All-Star as a player. Teams he played for are the Baltimore Bullets and the Chicago Bulls. As a coach, he was listed as one of the Top 15 Coaches in NBA History.
He was also named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. He was also named to the 2020 Indiana Sports Hall of Fame. He is one of four coaches in the NBA with more than 15 consecutive seasons that have a winning record.
Player Profile and Personal Life
Gerald Eugene Sloan was born on March 28, 1942, in McLeansboro, Illinois in the United States of America. He stands 196 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 88 kg. He shoots with his right and he was a shooting guard and a center.
| Position | Point Guard |
| Height / weight | 1.96 m / 88 kg |
| Born | 28 Mar 1942 |
| Died | 22 May 2020 (78 years) |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Playing Style | Right Handed |
| Nickname | The Original Bull |
| Team History | |
Chicago
|
1966 - 1976 |
Baltimore Bullets
|
1965 - 1966 |
He married his high school sweetheart – Bobbye Sloan. She died in 2004 after a battle with cancer. They had four kids together. In 2006, he remarried and gained a stepson.
He died on May 22, 2020, aged 78, from complications of Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia.
High School and College Career
He attended McLeansboro High School in McLeansboro, Illinois. Later, he committed to play college basketball for the University of Evansville and was there from 1962 to 1965.
He was twice named the ICC Player of the Year – 1963 and 965. He was also named to the First-team All-ICC three times from 1963 to 1965. The Evansville Purple Aces retired jersey number 52 in his honor.
Playing Career
In 1965, he became the 4th overall pick in the first round of the NBA Draft, selected by the Baltimore Bullets. He played with the Bullets from 1965 to 1966. Then in 1966, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls. He would play with the Bulls through to 1976.
As an NBA player, he was named an NBA All-Star twice. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team four times – 1969, 1972, and from 1974 to 1975. Sloan was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team twice. The Bulls later retired jersey number 4 in his honor.
Coaching Career
In 1978, he started working as an assistant coach for the Bulls. In 1979, he was promoted to Head Coach and held the position through 1982. From 1985 to 1988, he was an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz.
In 1988, he was named the head coach of the Jazz. He held this position through 2011.
As a coach, he was considered one of the best in NBA history. He was also named one of the Top 15 Coaches in NBA History. No.1223 was also retired by the Jazz in his honor.
In 2009, he was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. In 2020, he was named to the Indiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Career Highlights
As a player:
- 1967, 1969 - NBA All-Star
- 1969, 1972, 1974–1975 - NBA All-Defensive First Team
- 1970–1971 - NBA All-Defensive Second Team
No. 4 retired by the Chicago Bulls
- 1963, 1965 - ICC Player of the Year
1963–1965 - First-team All-ICC
- The no. 52 jersey was retired by the Evansville Purple Aces
As a coach:
2017 - Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award
- Top 15 Coaches in NBA History
No. 1223 retired by the Utah Jazz
- 2020 - Indiana Sports Hall of Fame
Career playing statistics
- Points - 10,571 (14.0 ppg)
- Rebounds - 5,615 (7.4 rpg)
- Assists - 1,925 (2.5 apg)
Career Coaching Record
- NBA - 1,221–803 (.603)
- Basketball Hall of Fame as coach, 2009
Medal Record, as Assistant coach for the United States Men’s National Basketball Team
- Gold - 1996 Olympic Games Atlanta
Team History:
As a coach:
- 1978–1979 - Chicago Bulls (assistant)
- 1979–1982 - Chicago Bulls
- 1985–1988 - Utah Jazz (assistant)
- 1988–2011 - Utah Jazz
