Former Utah Jazz coach and general manager Frank Layden died on Wednesday. He was 93.
Layden coached the Jazz for seven-plus seasons (1981-89) and also served in the front office as general manager and president until retiring in the final week of 1999. He was NBA Coach of the Year and NBA Executive of the Year in 1984.
Layden laid the foundation for success for Utah by drafting point guard John Stockton 16th in the 1984 draft and power forward Karl Malone 13th in the 1985 draft. Both players enjoyed Hall of Fame careers and the Jazz put together a streak of 20 straight playoff appearances, reaching the NBA Finals in both 1997 and 1998.
“We are sad to hear the news of Frank Layden’s passing,” said the Miller family, owners of the Jazz. “Frank was not only a foundational part of the Utah Jazz, he was a pillar in our community. We will continue to celebrate his passion and energy that helped build the Jazz into a contending team, and his endearing sense of humor.
“Frank’s love of sports was contagious. He could often be found spending a night at the ballpark with the Salt Lake Bees, leading us in song during the 7th inning stretch. He was a dear friend and remarkable partner. We share our love with Barbara, Scott and the extended Layden family.”
Layden was hired as GM of the New Orleans Jazz in 1979 and stuck with the franchise during its move to Utah. He compiled a 277-294 coaching record and guided the Jazz to five straight postseason appearances.
When he resigned as coach early in the 1988-89 season, Layden promoted Jerry Sloan, who went on to win 1,127 games with Utah.
Layden also had a short stint with the Utah Starzz of the WNBA. He resigned four games into the 1999 season, his second at the helm.
Among his other stops was coach of Niagara from 1968-76. Future NBA star Calvin Murphy led the school to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in Layden’s second season. Layden went 119-97 at Niagara.
In 2019, Layden was that year’s winner of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.
–Field Level Media
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