SAN ANTONIO (September 5, 2012) - The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Scott Layden has been named the team’s assistant general manager. Layden brings over 25 years of experience in the NBA to the Spurs front office. Layden has spent the past seven seasons with Utah Jazz as an assistant coach, his second stint with the Jazz.
Layden began his NBA career as an administrative assistant and scout with the Jazz in 1981. In February of 1982 he was elevated to assistant coach, where he remained until being named the Jazz’s director of player personnel in 1989. He was named director of basketball operations in 1992, before being promoted to vice president in September of 1996.
From 1992 through 1999, Layden was primarily responsible for all player personnel, draft and trade decisions. During his tenure as Utah’s primary architect, the Jazz recorded five straight 50+ win seasons (including three 60+ win campaigns), two Midwest Division titles (1996-97 and 1997-98) and back-to-back Western Conference Championships in 1997 and 1998. Layden was runner-up (to the Lakers’ Jerry West) for The Sporting News NBA Executive of the Year award in 1994-95, a season in which the Jazz went 60-22.
Before re-joining the Jazz, Layden served as general manager of the New York Knicks beginning in the 1999-00 season. A year and a half later, he added team president to his title. During his four-plus seasons in New York, the Knicks made the playoffs twice, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2000.
Layden began his professional career in basketball in 1980 serving as an assistant coach at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, before making the move to the NBA.
An upstate New York prep standout, Layden went on to play collegiate basketball for St. Francis University in Loretto, Penn., where he was a four year letterman and captained the team in his senior year of 1979-80. He graduated with a degree in business management.
Layden and his wife, Marsha, have four daughters: Sarah, Hannah, Mary Frances and Emma Grace.