Jazz need a unique candidate for head coach


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SALT LAKE CITY — In a way, Tyrone Corbin’s exit from the Utah Jazz was similar to his entrance.

Corbin, who entered his tenure as the team’s head coach in a situation wrought with tension, now exits the exact same way, leaving behind a franchise that has more questions surrounding it than when he entered in 2011. With Corbin’s exit comes the official closing of the Jerry Sloan era, which was an extension of the Frank Layden era. Now, Utah has officially entered the Dennis Lindsey era, as any future action that the Jazz make will be guided by his principles and basketball beliefs.

So, the big question remains — what does Lindsey want out of a head coach? In the press conference to announce Corbin’s dismissal, he consistently maintained he would not comment on the future coaching search, yet he mentioned integrity and a commitment to winning at the top of the list.

More than anything, Lindsey first needs a person that would be suitable with the Utah community: private, traditional, family-focused. Above all else, one of Ty Corbin’s many lovable qualities was his dedication to being a family man. Unfortunately, that status doesn’t make a successful NBA coach, but the Jazz are unique in the fact that they take residence in a community that is so against everything that the so-called “NBA culture” promotes. Any coach with a history of off-the-court issues will certainly be red-flagged in the hiring process, eliminating several candidates.

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Lindsey is a general manager who believes in the power of numbers in building a championship contender, and he needs a coach who will willfully adapt to what the numbers say regarding play on the court. Thus, any coach who hasn’t at the very least dabbled in that thinking will undoubtedly be thrown out of the search.

Utah requires a coach with a long track record of player development; a coach who has consistently improved young talent. With two first-round picks, and a team that has more than a handful of players still developing, the Jazz need a coach who has built his skills as a player development assistant at some level of professional basketball. If a coach hasn’t worked as a skills developer, he has no use with next year’s Utah Jazz.

So, with all of that in mind, who should the Jazz chase to be their next head coach? Several names have been mentioned, ranging from former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, his now television commentator brother Jeff, and former Utah coach Jim Boylen, now with the San Antonio Spurs. Former Nuggets coach George Karl also has been mentioned by various sources, as has former Memphis coach Lionel Hollins, who played junior college basketball at Dixie State.

Looking at the criteria presented, Stan Van Gundy appears to be a candidate who would fit with what the Utah Jazz require. Known for good sound bites, Van Gundy has never been linked with off-the-court issues and fits the demographic of the Utah market. The reason Jeff Van Gundy doesn’t work is he’s had several different opportunities to get back into coaching and has passed on all of them to this point. Facing a rebuilding project in Utah, it would seem unlikely that he would desire the job, especially after turning down opportunities in Los Angeles multiple times.

Another hot name that is on the market is that of Jim Boylen, who has been linked with the job because of two reasons: his success with the Spurs and his ties to Lindsey when both were a part of the Houston organization in the ’90s. If one just looked at Boylen’s resume, he would seem to be a tremendous candidate. The problem is Boylen already has experience in Salt Lake, and it isn’t positive. He largely failed as Utah’s coach from 2007-2011, and asking Jazz/Utes fans to accept a notion that his abilities as professional coach will fare much better is a lot.

Boylen’s style is certainly more in tune with pro basketball, but will the market accept him? Not likely.

In short, the Jazz have a list of requirements that Ty Corbin almost perfectly met. Sadly, his success on the court couldn’t match his likability. Now, the search for a coach who meets all of the organization’s, and Lindsey’s, expectations starts.

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Jon Oglesby

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