SALT LAKE CITY-Per numerous reports, Frank Layden, a former head coach  of the Utah Jazz passed away at the age of 93 Wednesday afternoon.

Layden, who served as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks from 1976-1979, became the Jazz head coach during the 1981-81 season when the team had moved to Salt Lake City from New Orleans and coached the Jazz through the 1988-89 season.

Layden posted a record of 277-294 (.485) and coached the Jazz to five postseason appearances.

Layden, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., starred at Niagara and later coached the Purple Eagles from 1968-1976 where he posted a record of 119-97 (.551) and led them to the NCAA Tournament in 1970 and a regional semifinals appearance.

During the 1981-82 season, Jazz owner Sam Battistone fired head coach Tom Nissalke and replaced him with Layden.

In the 1983-84 season, Layden posted a record of 45-37, leading the Jazz to their first all-time playoff appearance.

Layden, just 17 games into the 1988-89 season, stepped away from coaching and became the team’s general manager and in 1989, the No. 1 was retired by the Jazz in Layden’s honor.

In 1998 and 1999, Layden later became the head coach of Utah’s WNBA team, the Utah Starzz.

In 2019, Layden was named as the recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, named in honor of the former Detroit Pistons NBA coach which is bestowed upon an NBA coach’s “standard of integrity, competitive excellence and timeless promotion” of the game.