Former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan dies at the age of 78

Utah Jazz Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan passed away Friday at the age of 78, the Utah Jazz announced.

“Jerry Sloan will always be synonymous with the Utah Jazz. He will forever be a part of the Utah Jazz organization and we join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss. We are so thankful for what he accomplished here in Utah and the decades of dedication, loyalty and tenacity he brought to our franchise,” the Utah Jazz stated.

Sloan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia in 2016, and his health had been in steady decline the last few years, and needed 24-hour care in his final days.

Sloan took over as head coach of the Jazz 17 games into the 1988-89 season when Frank Layden stepped down, and remained at the helm until midway through the 2010-11 season, when he abruptly retired.

He went on to win 1,221 games, the fourth most in NBA history. Sloan was the first NBA coach to win 1,000 games with the same team.