Dale Brown, who transformed LSU basketball and mentored Shaq, dies at 90

Dale Brown died Friday, Oct. 23, in Baton Rouge. He was 90 years old.

Brown served as the head coach for LSU men's basketball for 25 seasons, from 1972 to 1997. During that span, he recorded 448 victories, a school record. His teams captured four Southeastern Conference regular-season titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament 13 times. The program reached the Final Four in 1981 and 1986 under his leadership.

His death occurred two days after the university announced his selection for the 2027 John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. The honor recognizes his lasting impact on the sport. Brown coached several future professional stars, including Shaquille O'Neal, Rudy Macklin, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who played for the team as Chris Jackson.

Brown’s family released a statement describing him as a man who prioritized others. "We have lost the most loving and most loved man any of us has ever known," the family said. They noted that he "always led with the heart" and was "a great humanitarian before anything else." The family also stated that he fell in love with Louisiana and that its people "loved him right back."

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry posted on X that Brown "put LSU Basketball on the map." Sports journalist Marc J. Spears also used X to call Brown "an extraordinary human" and to thank him for his wisdom.

Born in Minot, North Dakota, on Oct. 31, 1935, Brown arrived in Baton Rouge in 1972. He spent the next two decades traveling the state to promote the team. In 1979, LSU won its first SEC regular-season title since 1954. Brown received the Associated Press National Coach of the Year award in 1981 and was named SEC Coach of the Year four times. He is a member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame.

The university renamed the court in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in his honor in 2023. It is now called Dale Brown/Sue Gunter Court. Brown died eight days before his 91st birthday.