Miller, Sloan get the air cleared

Jerry Sloan called all the recent talk about his contract status "a distraction." He said it was something that he'd "rather not talk about."

The veteran Jazz coach seemed almost embarrassed by all the fuss - which was fueled during the All-Star break when Karl Malone brought it up during Friday's interview session in New York. The Mailman told the world that he didn't want to play for the Jazz if Sloan weren't the coach.Sloan, whose contract runs through the end of the 1998-99 season, spoke with Jazz owner Larry H. Miller on Monday upon returning to Salt Lake City after spending the All-Star break with his grown children who live in Indianapolis. While a contract extension wasn't worked out, Sloan and Jazz management appear now to be headed in the same direction.

"We had a good conversation," is how Sloan put it.

"I've never looked for another job since I've been here," said Sloan, who has been the Jazz's head coach for 10 years and was Frank Layden's top assistant for four years prior to that. "I've always been comfortable here. The organization and Larry have always been very good to me. It was just a situation where there was probably a misunderstanding."

Sloan had been concerned that his contract hadn't been extended by a year - which had been the protocol each season. He was also upset that he hadn't had conversations on the subject with Jazz brass for a few months.

"I've been in one place for a long period of time," said Sloan. "It affected me a little bit. I can't say that it didn't. But then I realized that I'd kind of been too sensitive, I guess is the word, because I was worrying about something that shouldn't affect me at all. I had come to that conclusion before talking with anybody. (Miller) didn't need to come to talk to me. It was nice that he did, but it wasn't something that I was looking for."

Miller told the Deseret News on Friday that he'd been busy serving on the NBA's labor relations committee, which has required an extensive time commitment. He said the Jazz had been planning all along to extend Sloan's contract and that the Jazz front office has always had confidence in him.

"I can honestly say that nobody I know on the Jazz has any misgivings about Jerry at all, or a lack of confidence in him," said Miller.

Sloan makes $1.25 million per season, which puts him in the bottom third when compared with other NBA head coaches. He's the league's all-time 14th winningest coach and has been with same team longer than any current head coach.

Sloan stressed on Monday that money wasn't the big issue.