Category: Utah Jazz Blog

The Utah Jazz announced today that Jeff Hornacek has been named an assistant coach for the remainder of the 2010-11 season.  Hornacek joins lead assistant Scott Layden on head coach Tyrone Corbin’s coaching staff.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Hornacek becomes a full-time assistant coach after having begun working for the Jazz as a shooting coach prior to the 2007 NBA Playoffs.  In addition to that time working together, Hornacek and Corbin also were teammates twice as players covering parts of three seasons, first in Phoenix during the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons, and again in Utah in 1993-94.

“I am excited to have Jeff on board and to have him expand his role and become more involved with the team,” said Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin.  “He has a great history with basketball, especially with the Jazz, and I think the players are excited about him being around more.  I think he will bring a lot of positive energy and knowledge to the team.”

Hornacek becomes only the seventh different assistant coach for the Jazz since Jerry Sloan was promoted to head coach in December 1988, joining Phil Johnson, Gordon Chiesa, David Fredman, Kenny Natt, Corbin and Layden.

“I am thankful that Ty has offered me the opportunity to serve as an assistant coach for the rest of the year,” said Hornacek.  “I am excited at the possibility to increase my involvement with the team in a coaching capacity, and to be a part of this staff, and look forward to working more closely with the coaches and players on a day-to-day basis.”

A native of Elmhurst, Ill., Hornacek played for three teams during a 14-year NBA playing career (1986-2000), including seven seasons with the Jazz from 1993-2000, where he averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 477 games.  He was originally selected by the Phoenix Suns in the second round (46th overall pick) of the 1986 NBA Draft out of Iowa State University.  Hornacek appeared in a total of 1,077 career games, which included time with Phoenix and Philadelphia in addition to Utah.

Considered one of the premier shooters in NBA history, Hornacek connected on .496 percent from the field (5,929-11,957), including .403 percent from three-point range (828-2,055) and .877 percent from the free throw line (2,973-3,390).  He still ranks eighth in league history in free throw percentage, 11 seasons following his retirement from the NBA following the 1999-2000 season.  Hornacek was selected an NBA All-Star in 1992, and twice won the Three-Point Shootout during All-Star Weekend (1998 and 2000).  His No. 14 jersey was retired by the Jazz on November 19, 2002.

The Utah Jazz announced Thursday that head coach Jerry Sloan and assistant coach Phil Johnson have resigned their positions, effective immediately.  In a related announcement, the Jazz also announced that assistant coach Tyrone Corbin has been named head coach of the team.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

“It is with great sadness that we have accepted Jerry and Phil’s resignations today.  Larry and I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for both of them, the way they have handled the team, represented our franchise and held the values of our organization and community,” said Utah Jazz Owner Gail Miller.  “Larry and I always gave our coaches maximum support to ensure that they knew they were in charge of the team, not management, the media, fans or players.”

Sloan had been Utah’s head coach since assuming the reigns from former head coach Frank Layden on December 9, 1988.  The third-winningest coach in NBA history (1,221-803, .603), Sloan was the longest-tenured active coach with one team in major professional sports, as well as the longest-tenured head coach in NBA history.  Sloan is the only NBA head coach to win 1,000 games with one team (1,127-682, .623 with Jazz) and ranked 347 wins ahead of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for the most wins with one team among active coaches.

Over his 23 seasons at the helm, Sloan guided the Jazz to 19 playoff appearances, two NBA Finals (1997, 1998), seven division titles, a streak of 16 consecutive winning seasons (1988-2004), 13 seasons with 50-plus wins and three with 60-plus wins, while suffering only one losing season.  Sloan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 11, 2009.

“Jerry has proven again and again, that he is a Hall of Fame coach.  His consistency, discipline and work ethic are cornerstones to his success,” said Greg Miller, CEO of the Utah Jazz. “Jerry’s departure is entirely his decision and as unpleasantly as it is for me personally, I respect his decision to leave the franchise at this time.  In addition, Phil has had a tremendous impact on our franchise as an assistant coach by partnering with Jerry and stepping up to the head coaching role as needed over the years.”

Since Sloan’s hiring there have been a total of 245 coaching changes in the NBA (including interim coaches), with every team in the league aside from Utah making at least two changes.  In addition, five current NBA teams (Bobcats, Grizzlies, Raptors, Magic, Timberwolves) did not exist when Sloan took the reins in Utah, and two others (Heat, Hornets) were just over a month into their inaugural seasons.  Sloan coached 132 different Jazz players in regular season games during his tenure.

“Jerry and Phil have coached the Utah Jazz for more than 23 years,” said President of the Utah Jazz, Randy Rigby.  “Both have been a tremendous asset to our team both on and off the court.  They consistently supported the efforts of the front office through visits with our season ticket holders, sponsors and fans through community appearances.  We are grateful for their legacy.”

Sloan originally joined the Jazz as a scout during the 1983-84 season, then following a brief stint as a head coach in the Continental Basketball Association, re-joined the Jazz as an assistant coach to Frank Layden on November 19, 1984, where he remained until being promoted to head coach following Layden’s resignation in December of 1988.

Prior to joining the Jazz, Sloan served as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1979-82 following an 11-year playing career with Baltimore and Chicago, during which he was twice selected an NBA All-Star.

Johnson teamed with Sloan as his top assistant for all 23 of his seasons coaching the Jazz.  A former NBA Coach of the Year, Johnson has been widely acknowledged as one of the premier basketball coaches in the sport and was named the league’s top assistant prior to the 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2010-11 seasons.

Johnson’s working relationship with Sloan began more than three decades ago when he coached Sloan as an assistant under Dick Motta for the Chicago Bulls from 1971-74.  Following three years with the Bulls, Johnson earned his first NBA head coaching duties at the age of 32 with the Kansas City-Omaha Kings.  Johnson later reunited with Sloan in Chicago, becoming his assistant coach prior to the 1979-80 season.  The two worked together through the end of Sloan’s tenure with the Bulls midway through the 1981-82 season.  Johnson would then join the Jazz as an assistant in 1982 where he stayed before returning to the Kings in 1984 as head coach.  In December of 1988, Sloan and Johnson again came together when Johnson joined Utah’s staff as an assistant where he had remained ever since.

“Coach and Phil are synonymous with the success of the Utah Jazz,” said Utah Jazz General Manager Kevin O’Connor.  “Working with them throughout my time with the Jazz has been a very special experience.  They are consummate professionals and competitors, and I am very grateful for all they have given to the organization.”

Corbin becomes head coach of the Utah Jazz after serving as an assistant under Sloan since the 2004-05 season.  He becomes the seventh head coach in Jazz history and the fourth head coach since the franchise’s relocation to Utah.  Prior to the 2010-11 season, Corbin ranked second in voting for the NBA’s top assistant coach as selected by league general managers (behind only Phil Johnson).  Corbin joined the Jazz after spending the 2003-04 season as manager of player development for the New York Knicks.  Prior to his stint with the Knicks, he spent two seasons as a player mentor for the North Charleston Lowgators of the NBA Development League.

“I am thankful that we have a person of Tyrone Corbin’s character to assume the position of head coach of the Utah Jazz.  Ty has demonstrated an understanding of what our franchise stands for,” said Greg Miller.

A native of South Carolina, Corbin played for nine teams during a 16-year NBA career (1985-01), including three seasons with the Jazz from 1991-94, where he averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 233 games.  Corbin appeared in a total of 1,050 games over the course of his career that included stints with San Antonio, Cleveland, Phoenix, Minnesota, Utah, Atlanta, Sacramento, Miami and Toronto.  Corbin was originally drafted by San Antonio in the second round (35th pick overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft out of DePaul University.

Corbin will make his NBA head coaching debut on Friday, February 11 against the Phoenix Suns at EnergySolutions Arena.

The following is a medical update on Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur, who has missed the last six Jazz games after suffering a strained lower back during the Jazz’s win over Minnesota on January 28:

Okur was seen by back specialist, Dr. Graham Hill, in Salt Lake City on Monday.  Following his examination, which confirmed inflammation of his chronic disc problem, Dr. Hill has decided to place Okur on a back rehabilitation process, consisting of low back rehab and cardiovascular exercise, which will be directed by Jazz team physical therapist, Marlin “Moe” Forsyth.

An update on Okur’s progress will be provided following his re-evaluation in three weeks.  No additional updates will be given prior to that point.  Okur will not travel with the team during this span.

Now in his ninth NBA season, Okur (6-11, 265, Yalova, Turkey), who missed the first 26 games of the 2010-11 campaign while recovering from an unrelated Achilles’ tendon injury, has appeared in 13 games (no starts) this season, averaging 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game.  The 2007 NBA All-Star holds career averages of 13.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists and had played in over 92 percent of all possible regular season games, including at least 71 games per year, over his first eight seasons (94 percent since joining the Jazz in 2004-05).  Okur has appeared in all 82 games for the Jazz twice, including a streak of 233 straight games played spanning from 2004-2007.

The Utah Jazz are struggling lately. Deron Williams is frustrated. People aren’t happy. Minor changes are being made.

Jody Genessy of the Deseret News reports:

For the third consecutive game, the Utah Jazz will have a different lineup when they take to the Staples Center court tonight.

The Jazz’s starting small forward spot now belongs to C.J. Miles.

The sixth-year pro will replace Gordon Hayward in the opening lineup after the rookie replaced usual starter

Andrei Kirilenko at the 3 spot for one game (a 96-85 loss at Philadelphia).

This latest change comes on the heels of a four-game losing streak back East and just in time for a brutal back-to-back that includes tonight’s game against the two-time-defending-champion Los Angeles Lakers and Wednesday night’s home game against the NBA-leading San Antonio Spurs.

“The biggest thing I want to see is how our team responds,” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. “We’ve lost the last eight quarters we’ve played. We need to see if we can get some life and get back into this thing.”

The Jazz are still a winning team at 27-17, sitting at 6th in the Western conference.

The AP reports:

Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur is playing for the first time since rupturing his left Achilles’ tendon last season.

The 6-foot-11 forward came off the bench during the first half of Utah’s game against the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night.

Okur was bothered by tendinitis late last season before the rupture occurred during the playoffs against Denver last April.

Utah Jazz center Francisco Elson will miss tonight’s contest vs. Golden State. Elson has traveled to Canada to renew his visa (standard procedure) and is required to remain in the country for 48 hours as a part of the process.

Elson is expected to rejoin the team for Friday’s game at New Orleans.

In addition, guard Raja Bell (strained right adductor) and center Kyrylo Fesenko (sprained left ankle) will each be gametime decisions tonight.