Jazz sign coach Corbin to multiyear deal

[March 03, 2011]  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Utah Jazz signed head coach Ty Corbin to a multiyear contract on Wednesday, less than a month after he succeeded Jerry Sloan.

Terms of the deal were not announced.

Jazz officials made it clear upon Sloan's Feb. 10 resignation that Corbin would be their coach of the future.

"We actually not only talked the talk, we walked the walk and we put our money where our mouth is," Jazz CEO Randy Rigby said Wednesday.

Rigby said it would have been easy to tell Corbin to wait, and see how the team finished and if it made the playoffs.

"We don't believe in putting a coach in that position," Rigby said. "This is how we've always said we would treat (such situations)."

Corbin, who had served as an assistant under Sloan since the 2004-05 season, is the seventh head coach in Jazz history.

Sloan abruptly resigned a day after clashing with All-Star point guard Deron Williams at halftime of a Feb. 9 loss to the Chicago Bulls, saying he simply was out of energy.

Rigby said team owners literally had 30 minutes after Sloan slept on his decision to offer Corbin the job, and they chose to make him head coach rather than interim coach.

"When we had (Karl) Malone, (John) Stockton and Sloan in place, it was easy (to talk about) stability," Rigby said.

In a span of 13 days, the franchise had its Hall of Fame coach retire then traded away Williams in a blockbuster deal that brought Devin Harris and rookie Derrick Favors plus two draft picks and cash to Utah.

"We want the marketplace to realize this team is here in Utah to stay," Rigby said. "We're committed to this community and committed to its coaching staff and to winning and staying in control and protecting this great and valuable asset. It was demonstrated again today with this new contract."

Rigby said ownership was impressed with the energy displayed by the players during the turbulent month. Though they lost to Boston on Monday, the Jazz nearly pulled off the upset, and management was impressed with Corbin's leadership.

"He really is the right man," Rigby said.

Corbin and the Jazz face their next test Wednesday night against Denver, another team that made a blockbuster trade.

The Jazz have dropped six straight at home -- the team's worst home skid since 1982 -- and 16 of the past 21.

[Associated Press; By LYNN DeBRUIN]

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