Frank Layden Quits As Starzz Coach
Stever
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COS2000
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Frank Layden resigned as coach of the WNBA's Utah Starzz
today less than a year after taking the job.
Layden, the former coach of the Utah Jazz, was 2-2 with the Starzz this season.
He will be replaced by assistant Fred Williams.
``I think I have succeeded in doing all that I feel I possibly could and can
do,'' Layden said. ``I'm passing the reins on. We're changing the face of the
team. We've changed the attitude of the team and I think we're headed in the
right direction.''
Layden took over the team July 27, 1998, replacing Denise Taylor, and won only
two of 11 games last season. This year, the team was revamped and in its last
game beat Sacramento on Saturday.
Williams has been with the team since the 1998 season. He was the head coach of
the women's team at Southern California between 1995 to 1997.
When Layden took the position as coach last season he insisted the position was
not temporary.
``This is a position I plan to hold for a long time to come,'' he said.
COS
"Life is meant to be celebrated not endured"
Whitney D
doubly interesting:
>>."I look forward to the day when all the head coaches in this league are
women, and all the referees are women. It's their game," said Layden. "Young
girls need role models. They don't need to be seeing an old gray-haired fossil
like Frank Layden on the sideline. At this point, though, we can't get some of
the best women. When we can, I'll turn over the keys to my office in a split
second."<<< (Tim Povtak
of The Sentinel Staff, Published in The Orlando Sentinel on June 20, 1999.)
Chris
http://callisto.worldonline.nl/~aarde01/utah99.htm
Newly appointed head coach Fred Williams has been with the team since the
1998 season tipped off and has since been the team's top assistant.
Williams' basketball background is quite extensive, having coached such WNBA
stars as Cynthia Cooper (Houston Comets) and Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles
Sparks). Williams began his coaching ranks on the collegiate level, most
recently as head coach at the University of Southern California (1995-97).
Under Williams' direction, the 1997 USC squad earned a 20-9 record and a
trip to the NCAA Tournament where they would advance to the second round.
Williams also served for ten seasons as an assistant coach for Southern Cal,
including two years as associate women's head coach to Hall of Fame player
and coach, Cheryl Miller (current Phoenix Mercury Head Coach). In his time
spent with USC, Williams helped the team to the 1984 NCAA Championship, two
NCAA Championship appearances, five Pac-10 Conference titles, and nine NCAA
Tournament appearances.
Williams is a 1980 graduate of Boise State University where he received his
B.A. He is a 1975 graduate of Inglewood High School. While at Inglewood,
Williams was a teammate of former NBA standout and current TNT analyst
Reggie Theus.
armchair...@hotmail.com
> When Layden took the position as coach last season he
> insisted the position was
> not temporary.
>
> ``This is a position I plan to hold for a long time to come,''
> he said.
So what's the deal? Did they have a player revolt going on there?
He had a worse record than Taylor last year, and that is after the boost
you normally get from changing coaches so I wonder if he is being asked
to move on - by his son no less? And, he has some strange comments like
- (paraphrasing) "I'm not the type of coach who can take an average team
and have them do any better than average. But I try and help them enjoy
and appreciate life." And after the last win against Sacramento "I'm
not gonna kid myself, that team is not Houston. There's perception and
then there's reality".
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Jenn Doran
of socks and realized they would probably last me for the rest of my life".
Kind of morbid, but if he wants to spend time with his family or whatever, I
can't argue.
Jenn
DROGO12
Do you think Lin Dunn was in contention..Does the WNBA not like her?
Ann
armchair...@hotmail.com
replacements almost always go to an existing assistant coach.
armchair...@hotmail.com
Jenn Doran <hang...@home.com> wrote:
> I read on wnba.com that he said something to the effect of '
> I bought a pair
> of socks and realized they would probably last me for the rest
> of my life".
> Kind of morbid, but if he wants to spend time with his
> family or whatever, I
> can't argue.
>
> Jenn
>
Yes, I saw that and the AP is running that same story across the U.S.,
but it did seem odd that he would say things like "I'm here for the long
term" or something similar when he took the job last year, and then just
two weeks into a short season pack it in. Now www.sltrib.com is running
a story that says he and at least some of the team were not getting
along. And, it says he skipped two practices, one after a poor
performance against a men's recreation team, and the other after the 0-2
road trip. That fact did not help him gain player respect, and probably
did not sit well with Starzz management either.
And since the team has 6 new players this year, you have to wonder had
he resigned at the end of last year, if another coach would have kept
the popular Tammi Reis or some of the other 2 guards they cut (and seem
to need).
Ron Corio
> >He will be replaced by assistant Fred Williams.
>
> Do you think Lin Dunn was in contention..Does the WNBA not like her?
> Ann
The WNBA would do well to get Dunn and Maura McHugh coaching teams
ASAP.
...ron
--
Ron Corio
rco...@vcu.edu
COS2000
he resigned at the end of last year, if another coach would have kept
the popular Tammi Reis or some of the other 2 guards they cut (and seem
to need).>>
Or conversely, he was brought it to be the hatchet man and get rid of the
popular but untalented Reiss so the new coach wouldn't take the heat. Food for
thought.
COS2000
replacements almost always go to an existing assistant coach.>>
I will agree that it is hard to bring in a total outsider once the season has
started -- my guess is that Dunn and McHugh get expansion teams next year.
rewind
As Starzz Coach, Former Jazz coach cites personal reasons
BY LYA WODRASKA
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
It took Denise Taylor almost two seasons to alienate
Utah Starzz
players. Frank Layden needed only two weeks. The 67-
year-old Layden
resigned Monday as coach of the Starzz, citing personal
reasons. Layden
said he needed to spend more time with his family, but also
acknowledged
his relationship with the team had become testy, especially
after two
recent blowouts on the road.
Layden leaves the team with a 2-2 record; he was 4-11,
counting the
final 11 games of last season after Taylor was fired and he
volunteered to
take over.
Second-year assistant Fred Williams was named the new
coach. The
Starzz returned to Salt Lake City on Friday morning after
losing by 24
points at Minnesota and by 20 at Houston. A frustrated
Layden didn't attend
Friday's practice. It was the second time this season
Layden didn't
participate in a practice, with his first absence coming
after Utah had a
bad scrimmage against a men's recreational team.
Some players lost respect for Layden and thought he
gave up on them
when he did not coach them in practices. After all, they
aren't allowed to
skip practice after a bad game. Others were upset that
Layden played
Utah's late-arriving players as soon as he did, since they
didn't know the
system.
The situation was made worse Saturday morning when
Layden waived last
year's starting point guard, Chantel Tremitiere, and then
scolded the
Starzz for talking to Sacramento's players during the
shootaround.
The weekend events magnified smaller problems since
some players had a
hard time connecting to Layden, who they believed treated
them too harshly
and didn't understand female players. The Starzz are the
only team in the
league with an all-male coaching staff.
Layden acknowledged the problems.
"It's just like any coaching staff who spends many
hours together, you have
happy moments and sad moments and some disagreements,"
Layden said. "That is
just the way it is. I think I enjoyed them more than they
enjoyed me. They
found me somewhat different."
While they may have disagreed with their coach on some
points, none of
the Starzz's players felt good about Monday's announcement.
"He taught us a lot of things," said forward Natalie
Williams. "But in
his eyes, he had gotten to a point where he had done all he
could do. I
have a lot of respect for him stepping down the way he did."
Layden's last game was Saturday's 85-75 win over
Sacramento. Williams'
first game is Thursday at Sacramento. Layden made his
announcement
Monday at the Delta Center with his wife, Barbara, the team
and numerous
Jazz/Starzz employees in attendance. Layden said he didn't
realize how much
time the Starzz would require.
"I have bittersweet feelings, but I guarantee you it's
more sweet,"
said Layden. "I've reached a stage in my life where you're
all going to
reach and that is when you buy a pair of socks, you know
they're going to
last you the rest of your life. That is a little bit
frightening."
Layden took over as the head coach when the Starzz
fired Taylor last
July 27, 1998. The Starzz finished the season 2-9 under
Layden and 8-22
overall.
Layden spent much of the offseason scouting college
games, in addition
to watching the U.S. Women's National Team practice.
Once the season started, Layden was at the Starzz's
practice facility at
Franklin Covey from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, working
on game plans
and practice assignments. Layden said it all tired him
more than he
expected.
"I've given the team all I can give," Layden said. "I
don't know if I can
travel anymore. It gets old. I want to save time for my
wife, Barbara,
and do
a lot of the things we've set aside."
Layden ends his coaching career with a 281-305 mark
after coaching the Jazz
for more than six years. He retired from the NBA on Dec.
9, 1988. He
still is the president of the Jazz organization.
Layden provided immediate relief for the Starzz a year
ago, coaching them
to a 90-80 win over Phoenix in his first appearance.
In addition to
improving their basketball skills, Layden wanted the Starzz
to have fun.
This season, he started his own book club for the team
and canceled
practice one night, taking the Starzz to see "Star Wars
instead." He threw
candy into the stands at home games. However, laughter
and smiles were
getting scarce on the road trip. Scott Layden, Frank's
son and vice
president of basketball operations, knew something was
wrong Saturday and
found out for sure his father was going to resign on Sunday
during a
Father's Day golf outing.
"My dad has earned a place in the organization where he
can come and
go," Scott Layden said. "When he wanted to be the coach
last year, it was
the easiest hire in the world. The team obviously needed a
lift then and he
gave them a shot in the arm and the franchise some
credibility. He feels
like he has done that."
Despite the conflicts, Layden said he enjoyed working
with the Starzz
more than any other team. "It was my most unique and
enjoyable
experience," Layden said. "They are great athletes and are
intelligent and
a lot of fun. They certainly kept me on my toes."
Layden never intended
to coach the Starzz forever. He just hoped to turn the team
around from its
15-43 performance of the last two years. "We knew this
wasn't going to
be a long-term thing," guard Debbie Black said. "But this
happened a lot
quicker than we expected. But to his credit, he decided
when he should step
down and did it on his own."
Fred Williams Will Fill Vacant Coaching Position
BY LYA WODRASKA, THE SALT
LAKE TRIBUNE
Fred Williams stood at the podium, wearing a
sharp suit and a
look of shock. Less than two hours earlier Monday,
Williams was informed
that Frank Layden was resigning as the head coach of the
Utah Starzz and
that he could be the coach, if he wanted. Williams, 42,
took less than
three seconds to say yes, becoming the Starzz's third coach
in three years.
"This is a dream for me," Williams said. "I
didn't think it
would be happening this soon." Williams was hired last
year by former
coach Denise Taylor to replace Greg Williams, who left to
be an assistant
at Detroit. Layden retained Williams when he took over for
Taylor in July
and the Starzz organization followed through on Layden's
recommendation to
hire Williams.
"Fred is very well-respected in the coaching
fraternity," said
Tim Howells, general manager of the Starzz/Jazz. "He was
extremely loyal to
Denise and Frank. When he was told of Frank's decision he
was very
saddened, but at the same time realizes his opportunity."
Williams, a 1980 graduate of Boise State, was
an assistant
coach at USC before becoming the head coach in 1995.
Williams guided the
1996-97 squad to a 20-9 record and the second round of the
NCAA Tournament.
He coached Houston's Cynthia Cooper and Los Angeles' Lisa
Leslie. He
resigned after the '97 season in a mutual agreement with
the university
after some players complained about his coaching.
He remained in basketball by helping the
WNBA's Los Angeles
Sparks with their 1997 free agent camp in addition to
coordinating his own
camps until he was hired by the Starzz. Williams is a
musician who produced
a CD titled "Let's Ride," and served as a technical
director for the TV
show "Suddenly Susan."
A soft-spoken coach, Williams has a good
relationship with the
Starzz players and is more approachable for them than
Layden was.
"He has a lot of experience and did a good job
at USC,"
Natalie Williams said. "He'll bring some new ideas to the
team and is very
easy to talk to." Williams said he won't change much in
the Starzz's
philosophy but will implement a few of his own ideas. He
makes his head
coaching debut Thursday when Utah plays at Sacramento.
"We have a foundation set and it would be very
hard to change
things at this point in the season," Williams said.
He guided the Starzz through a short practice
on Monday and
will work them out harder today. Richard Smith and Mike
Layden, Frank's
son, are expected to continue assisting the Starzz.
Williams isn't sure if
he will hire another assistant.
"This all happened quickly and my top priority
is to continue
us in the direction we were going," Williams said. "We're
playing .500
basketball right now and coming off a win [against
Sacramento] and we have
to get ready for Thursday."
Coaching changes are becoming a familiar
routine for the
Starzz, but they think that retaining Williams as the head
coach will give
them some consistency.
"When Coach Layden told us he was resigning, I
didn't
understand at first," said Russian center Elena
Baranova. "It was a great
surprise. I don't have grandparents and he was like a
grandfather to me. He
cared about us and talked to us about life. Coach Williams
is the same. He
understands the game and explains things to us well."
More than anything, the Starzz are eager to
play after the
stress of the weekend and Monday's announcements.
"People are beat up mentally," said veteran
LaTonya Johnson.
"So much goes on, it drains you. We're ready to play. We've
got some
weapons and we want to utilize them."
rewind
DROGO12
OHHHH..I hope it is Portland. We love her
Ann
armchair...@hotmail.com
cos...@aol.com (COS2000) wrote:
> <<Don't know about Lin and the WNBA, but it seems like mid-season
> replacements almost always go to an existing assistant coach.>>
>
> I will agree that it is hard to bring in a total outsider
> once the season has
> teams next year.
The ABL appeared to be (based on bankrupcty figures published by a law
firm) paying Angela Beck more than Dunn, and she is actively seeking a
WNBA position.
armchair...@hotmail.com
"From their perspective, the Starzz started poorly not because of
anything Sacramento did, but because of their deteriorating relationship
with Layden. "We were tense and we played like it," said guard Debbie
Black. "It was very difficult circumstances to play in."