Layden Retires As Jazz Prez

December 28, 1999 / 1:45 PM EST / CBS/AP

As coach and executive for 20 years, wisecracking Frank Layden has been synonymous with the Utah Jazz, which he transformed into an NBA powerhouse.

Now the team president is retiring to the golf links, marking the third front-office loss for the Jazz this year.

"It's important to know when to pack it in," said Layden, 67, who plans to write a book and spend more time with his family and wife, Barbara. "When you get to be my age, time is precious.

"I look at the newspaper every day and see people my age who are dying," said Layden, who plans to keep a home in Salt Lake City. "Barbara and I have a lot we want to accomplish."

Layden's retirement is Utah's third managerial loss this year. General manager Tim Howells resigned last week to run a restaurant chain. And Layden's son, Scott Layden, left Aug. 10 after 18 years with the Jazz to become general manager of the New York Knicks.

"I may be the last guy standing," Jazz owner Larry Miller said.

"The fact they all left in such a short time frame makes anybody, including myself, wonder what's going on. But there's a genuine reason for each," Miller said.

In fact, Layden said he had to hold back his departure when Howells beat him to it, and Howells said he delayed leaving when Scott Layden went first.

"I'm really happy for him," Scott Layden said Tuesday. "He's had a great run in the NBA, he's had a great run in coaching, but more important I think he's been an outstanding teacher."

"It wasn't just about basketball, it was more than that," Frank Layden said. "He always took his business and his profession seriously, but he always had fun along the way and there was always a lot of laughs."

Though the Jazz have six longtime vice presidents with a combined 103 years of experience, Miller still faces the daunting prospect of filling two of his top jobs, general manager and president. Miller said one of his options may be to leave the president's job empty.

It was just Monday that Miller learned Layden was leaving. Layden confided that it was time for him to retire to a life of writing, traveling, spending time with his family and golfing at his winter condominium in St. George, Utah.

"He'll be 68 next week," said Dennis Haslam, interim general manager. "So when should a fellow retire?"

Frank Layden joined the Jazz as general manager in 1979 with a promise to lead the team's move to Utah from New Orleans. The crowd was so thin for the inaugural game in Salt Lake City that Layden rushed outside screaming like a carnival barker.

"I told the ushers, `Throw open the doors! Let 'em in for free! We've got to fill the seats!"'

That ploy didn't work, but Layden' theatrics caught on. As coach, he sometimes threw his body at one time, some 300-plus pounds of it onto the parquet floor to get a cheer out of fans. He was even mocked Lakers coach Pat Riley's famous hairstyle by slicking back his graying locks while sitting on the sidelines.

"In the early years, Frank was the glue that held the Jazz together," Miller said. "He had a lot to do with molding the franchise into what it has become today."

In 1981, Layden took on the additional role of coach and had a 277-294 record during more than six seasons, including the Jazz's first winning season in 1983-84.

Layden's teams made it to the playoffs during the next five seasons. He retired as coach in 1988, but was pulled back onto the court a decade later when he became coach of the WNBA's Utah Starzz. He left coaching for good in June.

The Brooklyn native became athletic director and basketball coach at Dowling College in 1966 and two years later took the same positions at Niagara. He joined the Atlanta Hawks as an assistant in 1976 and three years later moved to the Jazz.