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Frank Layden

Francis Layden (born January 5, 1932) is an American former basketball coach and executive of the National Basketball Association's Utah Jazz as well as former head coach of the Women's National Basketball Association's Utah Starzz.

In addition to his coaching at the professional level, Layden coached at Adelphi Suffolk College and is also a former head coach and player of his alma mater Niagara University's basketball team. Layden coached Niagara to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 1970, with the help of Calvin Murphy. In 1976 he was hired to be an assistant coach with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks joining former Niagara teammate Hubie Brown. In 1979 he was hired to be the general manager of the then New Orleans Jazz, and became the head coach of the Jazz (now in Salt Lake City) in 1981, replacing Tom Nissalke. He coached the Jazz for the next seven and a half years. He was instrumental in drafting and signing franchise mainstays John Stockton and Karl Malone to the club. He retired from coaching during the 1988–1989 NBA season, with the team at an 11–6 record and leading the Midwest Division, citing "pressure" and a general burnout from coaching.moving into the team's front office and was replaced as coach by his assistant, Jerry Sloan. "I had a guy come up to me and say 'hit me, hit me', I'm a lawyer'. I think America takes all sports too seriously" Layden said after resigning. "Sometimes in the NBA, you feel like a dog. You age seven years in one. The pressure in the NBA is intense. It's time to have my time."[1] In his final game, Layden was ejected by referee Earl Strom after getting into a shouting match with Washington Bullets guard Darrell Walker.

In 1984, Layden was awarded the NBA's Coach of the Year. That same season, he also won the NBA's Executive of the Year and the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Awards. (He and Joe O'Toole are the only non-players in NBA history to win the award.)

Layden joined the Utah Eagles of the Continental Basketball Association in October 2006 as an honorary assistant coach.

Layden was the head coach of the Utah Starzz Women's National Basketball Association team from 1998 through 1999 before quitting so he could "enjoy life."Layden would a few months later quit as team president of the Jazz for the very same reasons.

Layden was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame on Long Island in the Basketball and Professional Sports Categories with the Class of 1990.

Layden retired from coaching the Jazz in 1989 to serve full-time as the franchise team president and general manager, hiring former NBA player and then Jazz assistant Jerry Sloan as the new head coach. During this time, Layden participated with Marv Albert in a video published by Sports Illustrated called Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers, as well as a sequel to that a year later. Layden once served briefly as a consultant for the New York Knicks, where his son Scott Layden served as general manager for a time. He continues to live with his wife, Barbara, in Salt Lake City.

Courtesy--wikipedia
- Frank Layden

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