Sloan heading home to make decision
By DOUG ALDEN, AP Sports Writer
April 21, 2005

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Jerry Sloan is about to decide if his toughest two seasons of coaching will be his last.

Coming off his first losing season in 17 years of coaching the Utah Jazz, Sloan is heading back to his farm in southern Illinois for what has become an annual decision: Does he want to keep coaching?

``You can ask all the questions about it you want, but it's not going to change. I wish I could tell you today what I was going to do, but I don't know,'' Sloan said Thursday as his players cleaned out their lockers.

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Utah wrapped up its season Wednesday with a 106-89 loss at Golden State. Despite the highest expectations in years, the Jazz finished with their first losing record -- 26-56 -- in 22 years and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Some coaches who lose 50 games in a season don't have the option of returning, but Sloan has an open door with the Jazz. His 942 career wins, including 848 with the Jazz, rank him sixth on the NBA's career lost.

Sloan has always said he will continue to coach as long as it's fun. And losing isn't fun, especially for the often combustible Sloan. He is still grieving for his wife, Bobbye, who died of cancer last June and said coaching while she was battling the disease for a second time made last season the most difficult of his career.

``I lost my wife,'' Sloan said Thursday, then paused. ``You know, basketball doesn't really matter. This is just a game. I can deal with that.''

There have been rumblings that Sloan may have mellowed during his first losing season with the Jazz. But he said the intensity is still there, it's just a question of whether he can maintain it through another season or longer.

``If people question me on that, they don't know me very well. They can question all the decisions I make but don't question my desire to be in basketball over the years,'' Sloan said. ``That may run out tomorrow morning. I don't know. That's some of the things I have to think about very seriously.''

Sloan plans to return to his farm in McLeansboro, Ill., take a few weeks and think about whether he wants to continue coaching or retire. He'll tinker with his antique tractors, let the memories of this season subside and then make his decision.

Jazz owner Larry Miller said the decision will be up to Sloan. But Miller wouldn't be surprised to get a call in a few weeks from the coach saying he'd be back.

``I also think basketball fills up a lot of his life. It's something I think he needs,'' Miller said. ``I think that he feels he's got work undone. He's approached it philosophically and understands what needs to be done.''

If Sloan does return, the nucleus of this season's team will be back. And if everyone's healthy again, that could be reason for optimism that this season was a fluke.

The Jazz were overwhelmed with injuries, losing former All-Star Andrei Kirilenko (knee, wrist), Carlos Boozer (foot), Raul Lopez (knee surgery) and Raja Bell (bruised shin) for much of the season.

But it was more than injuries that kept the Jazz from sustaining the promise of a 6-1 start.

Adding free agents Boozer and center Mehmet Okur last summer was expected to push the Jazz from a 42-40 season right back into the playoffs.

It didn't happen. The Jazz were one of the youngest teams in the league and the inexperience showed, especially at the end of close games.

``No excuses. We had a tough season,'' said Boozer, who didn't play after injuring his foot on Feb. 14. ``We lost one way or another. We gave up a lead, if we were trying to fight back it didn't have the boost to get over the hump. If we get over those humps then our season is dramatically different.''

Sloan hates to talk about injuries and refuses to use them as an excuse. All 56 losses can't be blamed on injuries and missing the playoffs for a second straight year hurt Sloan, regardless of who he had to put on the floor.

``It's very disappointing when you get to this stage of the season, not in the playoffs, the second year this franchise hasn't been in the playoffs,'' Sloan said. ``You can have all the excuses in the world, but it's my responsibility to put them there, and I didn't do it. It's not a good deal.''