Frank Layden wasn’t just a basketball coach; he was a one-man show, a master of the quip, the wink, and the unexpected joke. While his teams played with all their heart, Layden competed with his humor. He showed that, at its best, sports made us laugh as much as cheer.
Video Credit: Utah Jazz on YT
BLT and Chili Exit
Amidst a bad defeat to the Lakers in 1985, Layden stood up in the middle of the game, turned toward his bench and said:
“Everybody else is leaving, so why should I stick around and suffer through this? I am going across the street for some chili and a BLT.”
He wasn’t making fun of the game; he liberated it from the pressure of defeat. He showed all the fans and players that in sports, just like in life, happiness counts.
Dantley’s Fine
Once in 1986, star forward Adrian Dantley, who sat out due to a contract dispute, was fined $3 by Layden. On questioning, he replied:
“No, it’s 30 dimes. It’s 30 pieces of silver.”
This was a light jab steeped in biblical irony – and classic Layden.
Disguise on the bench
In an effort to dispel playoff tension against the Warriors during the playoffs in 1987, Layden decided to show up courtside in Groucho Marx glasses, mustache, and nose. This evoked laughter from players and coaches alike.
Layden knew how important it was to calm the mood. Even in the heat of competition, he reminded everyone: Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Team Trouble
Regarding his views on managing egos and team dynamics, he said:
“Even Jesus had trouble with 12 guys.”
Layden’s humorous take evoked the humility of situations and the impossible tasks of pleasing every player on the roster.
NBA Bloopers Co-Host
In 1989, Layden was a co-host with Marv Albert on the program, Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers. His humor went beyond Utah and into living rooms across the nation.
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Self-Deprecating Classics
Layden’s humor was also on display off the basketball court:
- On his own birth:
“I was so ugly when I was born, the doctor slapped my mother.”
- About his Mother-in-law:
“I don’t usually visit her on Christmas. Halloween’s her big day.”
- On guest speaking at Harvard Law:
“It was horrible. I was the dumbest one in the room and everybody knew it.”
He used himself as the punchline, always disarming and relatable.
Serenading Salt Lake With Song
In retirement, Layden even took the microphone to sing a lively rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame and lead fans in a chorus during the seventh-inning stretch.
Video Credit: Your Cre8tivity on YT
There was no stage that he would not brighten.
Reflections by Fans and Peers
Layden’s humor was more than comedy; it forged connections.
- One visiting coach remembers once, where his players were inattentive, he said:
“Can I just talk to you, since they’re not listening?”
- Social media tribute from fans say:
“Frank Layden was our favorite visiting coach.”
- Yahoo Sports mentions Hubie Brown’s high praise for him (redacted):
“Frank Layden is still the funniest human being I have ever been around. He was on stage 24 hours a day, ‘Saturday Night Live’ seven days a week.”
A Smiling Legacy
Frank Layden was not just a coach; more so, he was an entertainer and mentor who showed why sports, like life, needed to be taken seriously, but not overly so. His legacy will live on in every laugh and in every wisecrack that softened the competition’s edge.
Here’s to the man who could turn even a losing night into a winning story.
Read on the news of his passing:
Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden dies at 93, leaves behind an enduring NBA legacy
