NBA legend and former Utah Jazz head coach and general manager Frank Layden passed away on July 9 at the age of 93.

The Utah Jazz released a statement saying: "Frank Layden left a lasting impact on the Utah Jazz, the state of Utah and the entire NBA. We mourn his passing and remember his amazing life together. He was one of a kind."

Layden coached the Utah Jazz from 1981 to 1989, winning 277 games, third in team history. He was the only player on the team to win the NBA Coach of the Year award, and in 1984 he was also named Executive of the Year, a double-award winning achievement.

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1932, Layden began his coaching career in high school. He later coached at his alma mater, Niagara University, and entered the NBA in 1976, joining the coaching staff of the Atlanta Hawks.

In 1979, Layden became the general manager of the team then known as the New Orleans Jazz. In 1981, he succeeded the fired Tom Nissalke as head coach and successfully led the team to the playoffs the following year, starting the rise of the Utah Jazz.

At the beginning of the 1988-89 season, Layden stepped down as coach and was replaced by future Hall of Fame member Jerry Sloan. Layden continued to serve as the team's president and general manager. In 1998-99, he briefly coached the WNBA's Utah Stars.

After that, Layden continued to live in Salt Lake City and was awarded the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, which put a beautiful end to his lifelong contribution to basketball.