Frank Layden Dies at 93, Former Jazz Coach, GM Drafted John Stockton, Karl Malone

Former Utah Jazz head coach and general manager Frank Layden has died at the age of 93.

"Frank Layden made a lasting impact on the Jazz, the state of Utah, and the NBA," the Jazz said in a statement Thursday. "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."

While Layden is best known for his work with the Jazz at the NBA level, he first coached his alma mater, Niagara University, for eight seasons from 1968 to 1976. He led the Purple Eagles to their first-ever NCAA men's tournament in 1970 before moving to the NBA as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks.

Layden became the New Orleans Jazz's general manager in 1979 before the team moved to Utah starting with the 1979-80 campaign. It was in Utah that he became the head coach during the 1981-82 season after Tom Nissalke was fired.

The rest was history, as he became an integral part of the franchise's history.

Layden coached until he stepped down during the 1988-89 season to become the team president. Eric Spyropoulos of the Jazz's official website noted he appointed Jerry Sloan to replace him as head coach.

All Sloan did was lead Utah to the playoffs 19 times and the NBA Finals twice as the franchise's all-time leader with 1,127 coaching wins. Layden is third on that list with 277 wins.

Layden, who won the NBA's Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year in 1984, also played a key role in drafting franchise icons and Hall of Famers Karl Malone (1985) and John Stockton (1984), which set the franchise up for long-term success well after he was done coaching.

"It's hard to imagine the story of the Utah Jazz without the presence of Frank Layden," Jazz governors Ryan and Ashley Smith said, per the Associated Press. "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."

Given his overall impact on the Jazz and the NBA as a whole, Layden was given the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

He lived in Salt Lake City even after his retirement, and his son, Scott, worked for the franchise from 1981 to 1992 as a scout and assistant coach.

Layden remains one of the most important figures in Jazz history and helped shape the franchise into one of the league's best during the 1980s and 1990s.