Utah Jazz To Wear Jersey Patch Honoring Frank Layden
Sep 25, 2025, 1:00 PM | Updated: 1:33 pm
Utah Jazz uniform for the 2025-26 season featuring the Frank Layden memorial patch (Photo: Utah Jazz)
(Photo: Utah Jazz)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz will honor former head coach and team executive Frank Layden with a jersey patch for the 2025-26 season.
Layden passed away in July at the age of 93.
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Jazz to Wear “Frank” Patch To Honor Late Frank Layden
The Jazz announced they would recognize the contributions Layden had on the organization with a jersey patch that reads “Frank” throughout their upcoming campaign.
Jazz coaches and team personnel will wear a “1” circle patch throughout the season, honoring Layden’s No. 1 jersey that was retired by the team in 1989.
Layden spent seven and a half seasons as head coach of the Jazz between 1981 and 1989. The coach amassed 277 wins in 571 games, ranking third-most amongst wins by coaches in Jazz history.
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Layden was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1984 and remains the only coach in Jazz history to earn that honor. He was named Executive of the Year in the same season.
“Few people have had a greater influence on the Utah Jazz than Frank Layden,” Jazz President Jim Olson said in a release. “His leadership, humor, and humanity shaped the trajectory of the Jazz franchise and left a lasting mark on Utah. Our history would not be complete without Frank, and his influence continues to resonate far beyond the court. Wearing this patch is more than a symbol – it is a way for our players and coaches to carry his legacy with them every time they take the floor.”
In Layden’s second season as the Jazz’s coach, he led the team to its first-ever playoff appearance, winning the Midwest Division with a record of 45-37.
The Jazz will wear the patch beginning October 8 when they open the preseason on the road against the Houston Rockets.
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Ben Anderson is the author of the Jazz Mailbag, a Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports, the author of the Jazz Mailbag, and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
