SALT LAKE CITY – Former Utah Jazz coach and general manager Frank Layden has died, the team announced Wednesday. He was 93.
“Frank Layden made a lasting impact on the Jazz, the state of Utah, and the NBA,” the Jazz said in a statement. “There will never be another like him. Our thoughts go out to his family as we join in mourning his loss and celebrating his life. Rest easy, Coach.”
Layden spent 11 seasons as an NBA coach, including his first three with the Atlanta Hawks as an assistant and eight seasons as head coach for the Jazz from 1981-89. He totaled 277 wins with the Jazz, the third-most wins by a coach in franchise history, and led the franchise to its first playoff appearance in the 1982-83 season. He was also instrumental in the Jazz selecting future stars John Stockton and Karl Malone in consecutive NBA Drafts in 1984 and 1985.
In 1984, Layden was named the NBA Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year, and won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, which is named after the NBA’s second commissioner and awarded to “a player, coach or athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community.”
Layden resigned as Jazz head coach during the 1988-89 season and returned to his role as team president. He appointed future Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan to take over as head coach of the Jazz, a role which he held for the next 23 seasons.
In 2019, Layden was honored with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, which is awarded annually to an NBA coach for their contributions to the sport and league.
Layden also served as head coach for the WNBA’s Utah Starrz for one season in 1998-98.
“It’s hard to imagine the story of the Utah Jazz without the presence of Frank Layden,” Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith said. “He was an amazing person who meant so much to this organization and to our fans. His love of the sport was felt around the NBA, and he set the franchise on a course for success, helping to build an enduring legacy for the state of Utah.”
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