EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville mourns the loss of one of its legends following the passing of Jerry Sloan on Friday at the age of 78.
 
"Jerry Sloan was one of the most influential legends to ever wear an Aces jersey," UE Director of Athletics Mark Spencer said.  "He was a true champion at every level of basketball.  We will always remember what Jerry did for our community and university and we are proud that his #52 will always hang in the rafters.  Our entire university sends its condolences to Jerry's family and friends."
 
A native of McLeansboro, Ill., Sloan attended the University of Evansville from 1962 through 1965.  In three seasons with the Purple Aces, Sloan led the team to a pair of College Division National Championships including a perfect 29-0 season in 1964-65.  As a college player, Sloan led UE to a 76-9 record.  The 3-time College Division 1^st Team All-American was recognized as one of the best in the country, earning Chuck Taylor Converse 1^st Team All-America honors and Sporting News Second Team in 1965.  Both awards encompassed all college divisions.
 
"The Aces basketball program is saddened by the passing of Jerry Sloan.  It is impossible to put into words the impact that he made on the University of Evansville, the community and the game of basketball," Aces head men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter expressed.  "Our thoughts are with the Sloan family."
 
In 1965, Sloan was selected by the Baltimore Bullets with the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft.  Following one season with the Bullets, he was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 1966 NBA Expansion Draft.  Sloan played for the Bulls until his retirement as a player in 1976 and became the first player in franchise history to have his jersey (#4) retired.
 
After spending a season as an assistant coach for the Bulls, Sloan was elevated to the head coaching position in 1979 and led the team to the playoffs in his second season.  Sloan joined the Utah Jazz as an assistant coach in 1985 before being named head coach in 1988.  Having the opportunity to coach Hall of Famers Karl Malone and John Stockton, Sloan led the Jazz to 16 consecutive NBA playoff appearances.  Utah advanced to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998.
 
Sloan coached the Jazz until 2011.  He collected his 1,000^th career win in December of 2006, becoming the fifth coach in NBA history to reach that mark.  Sloan is the winningest coach in Utah Jazz history and at the time of his retirement.  He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
 
Teammate and fellow All-American Larry Humes recounted his relationship with Sloan, which began on the UE campus and continued long after their college days.
 
"Jerry was a leader and a great teammate.  He was one of my best friends for over 50 years; we always stayed in contact.  Despite all of his success, he never changed, he was always the same person, which is what made him special," Humes recalled.  "On our 1965 team – he was the backbone.  He handled the defense and I did the offense.  Russ (Grieger), Herb (Williams) and Sam (Watkins) handled their roles so well and made us better."
 
"My time with Jerry at the University of Evansville is something I will always remember and cherish.  He always said that some of his greatest memories were in his time at Evansville."