The deafening, motivating roar of the Delta Center playoff crowds in years past, and the 16-year "true partnership" he had with coaches Jerry Sloan and Phil Johnson are the two main things former Utah Jazz assistant Gordie Chiesa will take with him back home to New Jersey.
"I have so many memories (of Utah) in my treasure chest and in my head," Chiesa said Thursday, just a few hours after he tendered his resignation to the Jazz and accepted a job that is a step up with the Nets.
"It's really bittersweet. I love going back to New Jersey. It's a new and exciting opportunity to be the first assistant for the New Jersey Nets," he said from a Delta Center phone.
He was in Chicago with the Jazz contingent at the pre-draft workouts this week, but when he received the Nets' formal offer on Wednesday, after a face-to-face interview with Nets' chief executive officer Ron Thorn, Chiesa returned to Salt Lake City to contemplate the situation. He finally decided to change jobs about 4 p.m. Thursday.
He said he thought hard about the move and would not likely have considered other assistant-coaching positions.
But this one is, after all, his true home, though Chiesa added, "We have two homes." His two sons, 18 and 15, mainly know the one in Salt Lake City, with the youngest born here, but now they'll get to know their parents' home state, too.
Chiesa will be the top assistant to the Nets' boyish-looking coach Lawrence Frank, make more money and be more involved in "overall strategies and more team-oriented" duties as Frank's No. 1 assistant replacing Brian Hill, who left to become the Orlando Magic's head coach.
"It's a career advancement. It will help me eventually," said Chiesa, 55, a native of Union City, N.J., who harbors great hopes of becoming an NBA head coach himself someday and thinks the additional duties of a top assistant should be of service in that respect. He has 32 years invested in basketball coaching.
The Jazz granted New Jersey permission to speak with Chiesa at the end of May, and Chiesa said talks took place almost every day since then. "The Nets were aggressive," he said.
Though Utah has known about Chiesa's possible vacancy, spokeswoman Carline Shaw said the Jazz have made no moves toward replacing him yet.
During his 16 seasons with the Jazz, Utah complied an 809-471 record in the regular season and a 76-73 mark in the postseason.
"I'm walking away from a situation where I've been blessed," Chiesa said, wistfully talking about the coaching "partnership" he had with Sloan and Johnson the last 16 years after being hired by Scott and Frank Layden. Chiesa spoke of the superstars he'd helped coach — John Stockton and Karl Malone — and others he enjoyed like Jeff Hornacek, Antoine Carr, Howard Eisley, Andrei Kirilenko, Raja Bell and Carlos Boozer.
He added that his "memory bank" is filled with the playoff intensity of Jazz fans, whose "overwhelming" dedication to the games "jump-started our team to a frenzy."
Now, he will work with Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and a pretty strong team used to winning.
"We are all excited for Gordon to take on this new venture with the Nets," said Jazz senior VP of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor, who was still in Chicago along with coach Jerry Sloan.
"Sixteen years with a professional sports franchise is unheard of. We will miss his dedication, knowledge and loyalty to the team," O'Connor said in a statement.
"I have been very fortunate to have Gordon by my side for the past 16 years," said Sloan. "His ability to communicate with the players and passion for the game will be missed by the players and coaches alike.
"This move is a professional advancement for Gordon and we wish him only the best of luck back east."
Chiesa said Sloan told him Thursday that over the 16 years "you gave it your all" and that Sloan said he was thankful they worked together.
E-mail: lham@desnews.com