Legendary NBA Head Coach Passes Away

Legendary head coach of the Utah Jazz, Frank Layden, who led his team to their very first appearance in the NBA playoffs in 1984 and laid the foundation for successful teams in the following decade, passed away on Wednesday. He was 93 years old.

As of this writing, no cause of death has been revealed.

Layden, originally from Brooklyn, helped shape the Jazz to adapt to their new home in Utah after the franchise was relocated from New Orleans to Salt Lake City, as he took over the general manager position in 1979. Just a few years later, in 1981, Layden became the team’s head coach.

“Frank Layden made a lasting impact on the Jazz, the state of Utah, and the NBA,” the Jazz said in a post on X. “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’s coaching career began at the college level with his alma mater, Niagara University. He coached there for eight seasons and helped the basketball program achieve its first NCAA tournament appearance in 1970.

“Frank had the unique ability to be larger than life yet able to care for those in his circle on a personal level,” Simon Gray, Niagara University’s associate vice president for athletics, went on to say in a statement. “Although it has been 70 years since he graduated, I am confident that Niagara was on his mind at some point of every day since. He consistently checked in with his alma mater and showed his love for Monteagle Ridge in a myriad of ways. We will miss him dearly.”

In 1976, Layden moved up to the NBA, where he served as an assistant coach for the Hawks before taking on the GM role with the Jazz three years later. While he was working in the Jazz front office, Layden made two picks that ultimately became the biggest in the franchise’s history.

He chose Karl Malone in 1984 and John Stockton in 1985. These two would eventually go on to become ambassadors for the sport of professional basketball in Utah. Both players were honored by an inclusion in the Naismith Hall of Fame.

“He led the Jazz to the playoffs — a feat the team would pull off five times during his tenure — and coached in the NBA All-Star Game before getting named the NBA Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year. Layden went 277-294 as Jazz head coach in the regular season. In December 1988, he stepped down as head coach, while retaining the role of team president and general manager,” The New York Post said.

Jerry Sloan took over as head coach and led the team to back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998.

Layden also briefly coached the Utah Starz in the WNBA. The team later moved to Las Vegas and became the Aces. He also served as a consultant for the Knicks during his son Scott Layden’s time as general manager.