Gerald Eugene “Jerry” Sloan (March 28, 1942 – May 22, 2020) was an American basketball player and coach who became one of the most respected figures in NBA history. Before becoming the legendary head coach of the Utah Jazz and the player known as “The Original Bull” in Chicago, Sloan starred for Evansville College, now the University of Evansville.

Sloan helped lead the Purple Aces to NCAA College Division National Championships in 1964 and 1965, including a perfect 29-0 season in 1964-65. He was later inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was named one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History.

Early Life

Sloan was born and raised in McLeansboro, Illinois, approximately an hour west of Evansville.

One of 10 children, Sloan grew up on a farm after losing his father when he was four years old. He developed the work ethic that would later define his basketball career at McLeansboro High School, where he became an All-State basketball player.

Sloan initially enrolled at the University of Illinois but struggled with homesickness and returned home. After also considering Southern Illinois, he eventually found the right fit at Evansville College.

Evansville College

Sloan arrived at Evansville College in 1962 to play for legendary Purple Aces coach Arad McCutchan.

The relationship between Sloan and McCutchan proved crucial. Sloan was extremely shy and had struggled being away from home. McCutchan helped make him comfortable in Evansville, even arranging for Sloan to live with a local family rather than in a traditional campus dormitory.

Once comfortable, Sloan developed into one of the greatest players in Purple Aces history.

He was not simply a scorer. His game was built around defense, rebounding, passing, toughness and relentless effort—the same qualities that would later define his NBA playing and coaching careers.

Over Sloan’s three varsity seasons, Evansville compiled an extraordinary 76-9 record.

1964 National Championship

Sloan helped lead Evansville to the 1964 NCAA College Division National Championship.

The Aces defeated Akron 72-59 in the national championship game, giving Evansville its fourth national title under McCutchan.

Sloan was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA College Division Tournament.

But the following season would become even more historic.

Undefeated 1965 National Champions

The 1964-65 Purple Aces produced one of the greatest seasons in Evansville sports history.

Evansville went a perfect 29-0, becoming the only men’s basketball team in school history to complete an undefeated season.

The Aces returned to the NCAA College Division championship game and defeated Southern Illinois 85-82 in overtime to win their second consecutive national championship.

Sloan again received tournament Most Outstanding Player honors.

The back-to-back championships established Evansville as one of the dominant small-college basketball programs in America.

All-American Career

Sloan earned College Division First-Team All-America honors three times during his Evansville career.

As a senior in 1965, he received additional national recognition, including First-Team Chuck Taylor Converse All-America honors and Second-Team recognition from The Sporting News.

Sloan graduated from Evansville in 1965.

Despite never being the leading scorer on his Evansville teams, his all-around production was extraordinary. Sloan became one of the rare Purple Aces to record both 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

His No. 52 was eventually retired by the University of Evansville and hangs in the rafters in recognition of his career.

NBA Playing Career

Following his Evansville career, Sloan was selected by the Baltimore Bullets in the first round of the 1965 NBA Draft.

After one season in Baltimore, Sloan was selected by the newly created Chicago Bulls in the 1966 NBA Expansion Draft.

The move changed his career.

Sloan became the heart of the new franchise and earned the nickname “The Original Bull.”

A 6-foot-5 guard and forward, Sloan became famous for his relentless defense, rebounding and physical style of play.

During his NBA career, Sloan was a:

• Two-time NBA All-Star
• Six-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection
• Member of several successful Bulls playoff teams

He averaged 14.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game over an 11-year NBA career—remarkable rebounding numbers for a guard.

Sloan’s knee problems eventually forced him to retire in 1976.

The Bulls subsequently retired his No. 4, making Sloan the first player in Chicago Bulls history to have his number retired.

Coaching Career

Sloan soon moved into coaching.

He served as an assistant with Chicago before becoming the Bulls head coach in 1979. Sloan led Chicago to the playoffs during the 1980-81 season.

After leaving Chicago, Sloan briefly returned to the Evansville basketball scene when he became associated with the Evansville Thunder of the Continental Basketball Association.

His greatest coaching success, however, came in Utah.

Utah Jazz

Sloan joined the Utah Jazz organization during the 1980s and became head coach in December 1988.

He remained in that position until 2011.

During those 23 seasons, Sloan established one of the longest and most successful coaching tenures in professional sports.

With stars John Stockton and Karl Malone, Sloan turned Utah into one of the NBA’s most consistently successful franchises.

The Jazz reached the playoffs in 15 consecutive seasons from 1989 through 2003 and eventually advanced to consecutive NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998.

Both times, Utah faced Sloan’s former team, the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan.

Chicago won both series.

Although Sloan never won an NBA championship as a coach, his consistency was remarkable. Utah recorded only one losing season during his tenure.

Sloan became the first NBA coach to win 1,000 games with one franchise.

He finished his NBA head-coaching career with 1,221 victories, placing him among the winningest coaches in league history.

Basketball Hall of Fame

In 2009, Sloan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach.

His Hall of Fame class included Michael Jordan and John Stockton, linking Sloan with two of the most important figures from different chapters of his basketball career.

In 2022, the NBA named Sloan one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History as part of the league’s 75th anniversary celebration.

Continued Connection to Evansville

Despite spending decades in Chicago and Utah, Sloan never forgot the school and city where his college career flourished.

He remained a supporter of the University of Evansville and its athletic and educational programs.

Beginning in 1997, a replica of Sloan’s No. 52 Purple Aces jersey was displayed above Arad McCutchan Court at Roberts Stadium.

Sloan and his family also worked with UE through the Bobbye and Jerry Sloan Hand-in-Hand Foundation, established following the death of his wife, Bobbye, from pancreatic cancer in 2004.

His connection to Southwestern Indiana remained especially natural because his hometown of McLeansboro was only about an hour from Evansville.

Death

Sloan died on May 22, 2020, at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 78.

The Utah Jazz announced that his death resulted from complications related to Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.

The University of Evansville also honored Sloan following his death, calling him one of the most influential legends ever to wear a Purple Aces uniform.

Legacy in Evansville

Jerry Sloan’s national legacy is most closely associated with the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz, but the foundation of that career was built in Evansville.

Under Arad McCutchan, Sloan went from a shy farm kid who had struggled to remain away from home to a three-time All-American and two-time national champion.

During his three seasons at Evansville College:

• The Purple Aces went 76-9
• Sloan was a three-time First-Team College Division All-American
• Evansville won the 1964 National Championship
• Evansville won the 1965 National Championship
• The 1964-65 Aces finished a perfect 29-0
• Sloan earned national tournament MVP honors in both championship seasons
• He became one of the few Aces to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds

From Evansville College to the Chicago Bulls and ultimately the Basketball Hall of Fame, Sloan carried the same identity throughout his career: toughness, defense, effort and an absolute refusal to be outworked.

For Evansville basketball, Jerry Sloan remains not simply a famous former Ace, but one of the greatest players ever to wear the Purple Aces uniform and one of the most accomplished basketball figures ever associated with the city.