Jazz fire Jerry Sloan, name Dennis Rodman new coach.

Updated: Feb 11th, 2006, 9:33 AM ET
Edgewriter.WordPress.Com news services

"I'm disappointed, I love this franchise, but I didn't do what I was paid to do, that was to win a championship" Sloan told The Salt Lake Tribune. "I didn't do the job. I wish them well and I will move on.

Salt Lake City - Jerry Sloan is no longer the NBA’s dead man walking. His “career” as coach of the Utah Jazz is over; finally ending what may have been the most drawn-out firing in sports history.
Now Dennis Rodman gets the job of coaching the overpriced, under-achieving roster of the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz put Sloan out of his coaching misery Thursday, ending weeks of uncertainty by firing the Hall of Fame coach and replacing him with Dennis Rodman, the 14 year NBA veteran and arguably the best rebounding forward in NBA history–also a recently baptized Mormon.
“I’m disappointed, I love this franchise, but I didn’t do what I was paid to do, that was to win a championship” Sloan told The Salt Lake Tribune. “I didn’t do the job. I wish them well and I will move on.
“I had a great run at it, I love this franchise, I love these Mormon people in Utah, they just feel that even after all these years that I didn’t do what I came to do,” a teary-eyed Sloan said. “I mean, I won over 1000 games and coached over 120 different players with the Jazz.”

The Jazz put Sloan out of his coaching misery

Sloan had a year left on his deal and told the Tribune that he thinks he deserves the balance, but he may have to fight to see all of it. The Jazz are expected to claim they’re not obligated to pay the full contract.
With no financial settlement reached, Edgewriter.WordPress.com has learned that a clause in Sloan’s contract designates NBA commissioner David Stern as the arbitrator of any financial dispute between the sides, meaning the final chapter of this drama has yet to play out.
“Jerry has had a long and storied career. We hired him with the expectation that he would be with the Jazz for a long time,” Greg Miller said in a statement. “Sometimes decisions work and sometimes they don’t.
“After careful consideration, despite the best intentions from everyone involved, the “old Utah Jazz” structure doesn’t work for us any more and I don’t think things will improve next season.”

Throughout this season, Jazz players say they have been confused about their roles with the team, as Sloan has used more than 40 different starting lineups, easily the most in the league.

In January Miller said Sloan would return next season. But less than a month later, reports surfaced that Miller was looking to buy out Sloan’s contract.
Sloan had said that he may never leave the Jazz sideline, even if replaced, so the Jazz began biding their time. That created an awkward situation in which Sloan — who called himself a “dead man walking” because of the ailing health of Larry H. Miller– was running the Jazz’ workouts of draft prospects without knowing his ultimate role.
“No one in our organization is happy with this season and we all accept responsibility for our performance and injuries,” Greg Miller said in the statement. “This has been a difficult time for the entire organization and our fans.
“Jerry Sloan is a great coach, but for various reasons, having him here with the Jazz did not turn out the way we had hoped and we wish him the best in the future.”
It’s the second straight disappointing season for Sloan despite leading Utah to the NBA finals in both 1997 and 1998 only to fall a game or two short each trip.

The use of C.J. Miles has been particularly questionable, because it was expected that he would start alongside Kirilenko in the backcourt. Instead, he frequently comes off the bench while Sloan tries to decide if he is better suited to being the point guard or shooting guard.

The bickering with Andrei Kirilenko — a favorite of Kevin O’Connor, Jazz General Manager — just added to the chaos. Sloan and Kirilenko clashed, and the relationship was closely watched.
Kirilenko vowed to shoot more freely next season, saying Sloan’s team-oriented offense wasn’t leading to enough wins. Sloan fired back that Kirilenko already had enough freedom and should do what was best for the team, and the back-and-forth continued for four days before Sloan pulled Kirilenko aside to settle it.
Kirilenko did not immediately return a message left on his cell phone.
And one Utah player, who did not want his name used for fear of reprisal, said members of the team were instructed that all comments on the matter were to come through the Jazz’ public relations department.
Throughout this season, Jazz players say they have been confused about their roles with the team, as Sloan has used more than 40 different starting lineups, easily the most in the league.
The use of C.J. Miles has been particularly questionable, because it was expected that he would start alongside Kirilenko in the backcourt. Instead, he frequently comes off the bench while Sloan tries to decide if he is better suited to being the point guard or shooting guard.

Rodman becomes the Jazz' eighth coach of the Utah Jazz.

Still, O’Connor said he would try to get Sloan the kind of players he wanted to improve the team next season. Instead, the Jazz decided it would be easier to change the coach than overhaul the roster.
Despite a payroll that soared well past $120 million this season, the Jazz missed the NBA Finals for the second straight year. They haven’t won more than 1 game in the Western Conference Finals game since 1998.
Rodman becomes the Jazz’ eighth coach of the Utah Jazz.
Will Sloan add another team?

Will he add another team?

Information from the Glen Simmons-Staves Associated Press was used in this report.