Niagara University announced Wednesday that one of its most iconic basketball figures has passed away at the age of 93. Frank Layden played for the Purple Eagles in the early 1950s alongside future Naismith Hall of Famers Hubie Brown and Larry Costello. Layden returned to Monteagle Ridge to coach the team from 1968 to 1976, leading the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1970.
However, Layden’s basketball legacy is best known in the state of Utah, as he coached the NBA’s Utah Jazz from 1981 to 1988, winning both NBA coach and executive of the year in 1984. His jersey number was retired by Niagara in 2012, with the Purple Eagles' homecourt being dedicated to him and his wife Barbara in 2014.
