vslice02
Well-Known Member
During Tuesday afternoon’s press conference, Jerry Sloan credited Phil Johnson’s recommendation as the main reason he ended up as an assistant in Utah under Frank Layden. One thing that’s often overlooked is just how many times Jerry Sloan’s and Phil Johnson’s coaching careers have intertwined.
While it’s not uncommon for head coaches to forge strong relationships with brilliant assistants (Phil Jackson/Tex Winter) the coaching careers of Jerry Sloan and Phil Johnson not only reflected dedication, loyalty, and longevity, but also an almost ridiculous pattern for crossing paths over the past 45 years.
It began 1962 in Ogden, Utah with Dick Motta, the head coach at Weber State. Motta would go on to win 935 games in the NBA and crossed paths with Sloan by first coaching Jerry in Chicago and then offering him a lucrative position as his top assistant on the Mavericks in the 80’s – which Sloan turned down out of loyalty to Frank Layden (similar to how Phil Johnson would turn down head coaching opportunities – Pacers/Nuggets - out of loyalty to Jerry).
Phil Johnson was one of Dick Motta’s top assistants at Weber State, and replaced Motta as head coach when Motta left to coach the Bulls (Sloan was named an all-star in Motta’s first season in Chicago). As head coach at Weber State, Phil Johnson took the Wildcats to 3 consecutive NCAA tournaments before he accepted a position as an assistant with Motta in Chicago (where he also coached Sloan).
Phil Johnson then left Chicago to become head coach of the Kings where he won Coach of the Year in his second season. He was fired after 5 seasons with the Kings, and returned to Chicago as an assistant under recently named head coach Jerry Sloan. Johnson and Sloan coached together in Chicago until they were both fired in 1982. Phil then returned to Utah where he became an assistant to Frank Layden with the Jazz.
A few years later, the Kings offered Johnson their head coaching position again, and when Phil left Utah for Kansas City, Frank Layden replaced him on the bench with Jerry Sloan – whom Johnson recommended. When Jerry Sloan replaced Frank Layden in 1988, he hired Phil as his assistant and the two coached together for the next 22 ½ seasons - until they resigned Tuesday. I think it was only fitting they resigned together.
Just wanted to share that and say I live and breathe basketball, and I will miss both of them and the way they coached the game even more as a basketball fan than as a Utah Jazz fan. (I know that was long, but if Sloanfeld can make 15 Boozer threads, I can have this one!)
While it’s not uncommon for head coaches to forge strong relationships with brilliant assistants (Phil Jackson/Tex Winter) the coaching careers of Jerry Sloan and Phil Johnson not only reflected dedication, loyalty, and longevity, but also an almost ridiculous pattern for crossing paths over the past 45 years.
It began 1962 in Ogden, Utah with Dick Motta, the head coach at Weber State. Motta would go on to win 935 games in the NBA and crossed paths with Sloan by first coaching Jerry in Chicago and then offering him a lucrative position as his top assistant on the Mavericks in the 80’s – which Sloan turned down out of loyalty to Frank Layden (similar to how Phil Johnson would turn down head coaching opportunities – Pacers/Nuggets - out of loyalty to Jerry).
Phil Johnson was one of Dick Motta’s top assistants at Weber State, and replaced Motta as head coach when Motta left to coach the Bulls (Sloan was named an all-star in Motta’s first season in Chicago). As head coach at Weber State, Phil Johnson took the Wildcats to 3 consecutive NCAA tournaments before he accepted a position as an assistant with Motta in Chicago (where he also coached Sloan).
Phil Johnson then left Chicago to become head coach of the Kings where he won Coach of the Year in his second season. He was fired after 5 seasons with the Kings, and returned to Chicago as an assistant under recently named head coach Jerry Sloan. Johnson and Sloan coached together in Chicago until they were both fired in 1982. Phil then returned to Utah where he became an assistant to Frank Layden with the Jazz.
A few years later, the Kings offered Johnson their head coaching position again, and when Phil left Utah for Kansas City, Frank Layden replaced him on the bench with Jerry Sloan – whom Johnson recommended. When Jerry Sloan replaced Frank Layden in 1988, he hired Phil as his assistant and the two coached together for the next 22 ½ seasons - until they resigned Tuesday. I think it was only fitting they resigned together.
Just wanted to share that and say I live and breathe basketball, and I will miss both of them and the way they coached the game even more as a basketball fan than as a Utah Jazz fan. (I know that was long, but if Sloanfeld can make 15 Boozer threads, I can have this one!)
