Dale Brown, LSU's winningest basketball coach, dies at 90
Dale Brown, who coached LSU to two Final Four appearances and whose players included Shaquille O'Neal and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, has died at the age of 90.
LSU basketball coaching legend Dale Brown, who guided the Tigers to two Final Four appearances and mentored stars including Shaquille O'Neal and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, has died at the age of 90, the school announced Friday.
Brown, the winningest coach in LSU history with a school-record 448 victories, was just over a week away from what would have been his 91st birthday. In 25 seasons as head coach from 1972 to 1997, he won four SEC championships and led LSU to 13 NCAA tournament appearances. He was selected earlier this week to receive the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.
"We have lost the most loving and most loved man any of us has ever known," his family said in a statement.
A native of Minot, North Dakota, Brown coached O'Neal for three seasons beginning in 1989-90, with LSU reaching the NCAA tournament in each of those years. The final years of his career were clouded by an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting tactics; Brown retired in 1997 and LSU was placed on probation in 1998. Still, he remained beloved in Louisiana, was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and LSU's home court carries his name — Dale Brown/Sue Gunter Court. "The best potential of me is we," Brown said when his name was unveiled on the court.
Former Temple coach John Chaney called Brown "one of the true statesmen of college basketball," while Hall of Fame UCLA coach John Wooden said he would "always remember Dale for his enthusiasm." Following his retirement, Brown worked as a motivational speaker and a basketball analyst for television.
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