Former Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden is this year’s winner of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association.
Layden coached the Utah Jazz for parts of eight seasons, winning coach of the year in 1984 — the same year that he also won executive of the year and the league's citizenship award.
The 87-year-old Layden says he is deeply touched to be this year's recipient, particularly because of his friendship with Daly.
And with his trademark humor, Layden says, "I don't really believe I deserve this award. But having come from Brooklyn and having reached a high level of mediocrity in the coaching profession, on behalf of all the 'C' students in the world I'm going to take it anyway."
Past recipients of the award include Doug Moe, Al Attles, Hubie Brown, K.C. Jones, Jerry Sloan, Dick Motta, Bernie Bickerstaff, Bill Fitch, Pat Riley, Lenny Wilkens. Tex Winter, Jack Ramsay and Tommy Heinsohn.
