Gone But Not Forgotten

Mark Eaton, the former Jazz center, once told me he seemed a lot more popular after retirement than he ever was as a player. After a few years of Greg Ostertag, apparently Jazz fans realized Eaton’s value.
They understood that although he wasn’t a scorer, he was a force to be reckoned on the defensive end. (Hakeem Olajuwon once said Eaton was the opponent he most dreaded.)
The current Jazz aren’t good defensively, and certainly could use some interior defense and shot-blocking.
Strange how time lends perspective.
Eaton, along with former Utah football coach Ron McBride are two local sports figures whose stature is much greater after they’ve left. McBride, now coach at Weber State, received a video tribute, last week, at the Ute-Wildcat game. He even got a semi-standing ovation from Utah fans.
This is the same McBride who was fired at Utah after 13 years because he couldn’t win championships. Now he’s being credited with laying the groundwork for the Utes’ current success.
Though not in the same category as Eaton and McBride, former USU football coach Dave Arslanian is getting more love than he ever did as a coach. He was just 7-15 in two seasons in Logan, but considering current coach Brent Guy is 7-33, with the worst coaching record in school history, some are saying Arslanian could have built something if he had been allowed to stay.
What former athlete or coach in Utah do you think has gained the most stature after leaving?