Dale Brown, who coached some of the most successful basketball teams in LSU history, as well as one of the Tigers’ most famous players in Shaquille O’Neal, has died.
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who → coach → O’Neal
Brown, whose death Friday was announced by LSU, was just over a week away from what would have been his 91st birthday.
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what → announce → LSU
On Wednesday, Brown was announced as the 2027 recipient of the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.
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Brown → announce → Award
Brown was named AP Coach of the Year in 1981, was a four-time SEC Coach of the Year and has the most wins of a coach in program history.
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Brown → name → history
The panache with which his teams played and the rate at which they won packed LSU’s dome-shaped Pete Maravich Assembly Center with crowds so wild that the stadium took on the nickname, “Deaf Dome.”
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stadium → play → nickname
The highlights of his 25 years as LSU’s coach included two trips to the NCAA Final Four with his 1981 and 1986 teams.
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highlights → include → teams
He coached O’Neal for three seasons, from the 1989-90 campaign until the charismatic, 7-foot-1 superstar entered the 1992 NBA draft and was selected first overall by Orlando.
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superstar → coach → Orlando
LSU earned bids to the NCAA Tournament during all three of O’Neal’s seasons, but did not advance past the second round.
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LSU → earn → round
The final years of Brown’s career were marred by an NCAA investigation over alleged recruiting tactics that now are permitted.
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that → mar → tactics
During the 1996-97 season, the NCAA concluded that a booster had paid one of Brown’s former players, Lester Earl, about $5,000 while he played for the Tigers.
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he → conclude → Tigers
Brown retired in 1997 and LSU was placed on probation in 1998.
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LSU → retire → 1998
Still, Brown remained popular in Louisiana, where his enthusiastic, gregarious and expressive manner had long captivated fans.
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manner → remain → fans
Many LSU fans also appeared to subscribe to a storyline — espoused in no small part by Brown — that he was unfairly singled out and persecuted by the NCAA.
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he → appear → NCAA
Brown later was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and LSU’s home basketball court was named for him in 2022 (and also subsequently for late women’s coach Sue Gunter in 2024).
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court → induct → 2024
When Brown’s name was unveiled on the court during a halftime ceremony, Brown credited his former players and assistant coaches, many of whom were in attendance that night.
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many → unveil → attendance
“The best potential of me is we,” Brown said.
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Brown → say → me
The late former Temple coach John Chaney called Brown “one of the true statesmen of college basketball,” according to a profile of Brown on LSU’s website.
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coach → call → website
That same profile also quoted Hall of Fame UCLA coach John Wooden saying he will “always remember Dale for his enthusiasm.”
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he → quote → enthusiasm
“There are those who say he is a put-on — they just can’t believe that he can be what he professes,” Wooden said then.
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Wooden → be → what
“But I never questioned that.
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I → question → that
He amazed me because there is a lot more depth to the man.
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He → amaze → man
After college, he spent a little more than half a decade as a high school coach in North Dakota and California before taking college assistant posts Utah State in 1966 and Washington State in 1971.
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he → spend → 1971
When he was hired by LSU in 1972, few Tigers fans had previously heard of him.
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fans → hire → him
His name recognition and popularity began surging after LSU knocked off then-third-ranked Memphis State in the home opener of Brown’s first season.
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LSU → begin → season
Brown went on to coach an LSU squad forecast to finish last in the SEC to a 9-9 league record, resulting in his first SEC Coach of the Year honor.
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Brown → go → honor
Brown went on to post a career 448-301 record at LSU.
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Brown → go → LSU
Following his retirement, Brown became a motivational speaker, a basketball analyst for television broadcasts and started the charitable Dale Brown Foundation, which aims to promote educational opportunities for students who have physical disabilities or come from families who’ve struggled financially.
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who → follow → families
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