Since Jerry Sloan abruptly left the Utah Jazz after 23 seasons in February 2011, his name has come up as a possible candidate for a couple of head coaching positions, but Sloan has always withdrawn because it was not the right fit.
The 71-year-old Hall of Famer is carefully choosing the team that could entice him out of retirement, and who can blame him?
Well it is starting to look like the right fit could be with the Milwaukee Bucks. Sloan has interviewed with the team and is reportedly being seriously considered.
The Bucks started this season with Scott Skiles as their head coach. Skiles left the team in what was called a “mutual decision” and was replaced with assistant Jim Boylan. After making the playoffs with a sub-.500 record, the Bucks decided they were not going to keep Boylan around, so the coaching search began.
If Sloan is going to take the job, he is going to have a project on his hands.
The Bucks have a lot of drama in the locker room and some pretty big egos on the team. The biggest problem is probably Brandon Jennings, but he will be a restricted free agent this offseason and may not return to the team next year.
Sloan is the right guy for the job. The Bucks are going to need someone who commands a lot of discipline and respect. They have some talented guys on the roster, including one of the better backcourts in the league with Jennings and Monta Ellis. Plus they also have some talented young players in Larry Sanders and Ersan Ilyasova.
Milwaukee certainly is not a bad team and with the right coach in place they could make some noise in the Eastern Conference. The question is whether or not the Bucks are worth it for Sloan. It would be nice to see him on the bench again, but only if it is the right fit.
