Dale Brown (basketball)
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Dale Duward Brown (born October 31, 1935) is an American former
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
coach. He was the head coach of the
LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
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for 25 years, and his teams earned
Final Four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
appearances in
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
and
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
. Brown is also remembered as one of the most vocal critics of the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
, saying it "legislated against human dignity and practiced monumental hypocrisy."


Early life

Born and raised in
Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 2 ...
, Brown's family was of limited means; he and his two older sisters were reared by his single mother Agnes, a domestic service worker with an eighth-grade education, and all worked various jobs. He graduated from St. Leo's High School in 1953, where he starred in
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
, basketball, and track. During his senior year, he posted the highest scoring average in state basketball history and also set a school record in the quarter mile. Brown then went to Minot State Teacher's College (now known as
Minot State University Minot State University (MSU or MiSU) is a public university in Minot, North Dakota, United States. Founded in 1913 as a normal school, MSU evolved into a university in 1987 and is currently the state's third-largest, offering undergraduate and ...
), where he was a star athlete, earning 12 varsity letters in football, basketball, and track; the only athlete to accomplish this in these three sports. He scored 1,140 points in three years of varsity basketball. In 1999, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' selected him as one of the top 50 athletes of the 20th century from North Dakota. Brown graduated from Minot State in 1957 and received a master's degree at the
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...
in 1964. He was inducted into the Minot State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981.


Coaching career


North Dakota (1957–1964)

From 1957 to 1959, Brown was head coach of the basketball, wrestling, and track teams at Columbus High School in
Columbus, North Dakota Columbus is a city in Burke County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 139 at the 2020 census. Columbus was founded in 1906. Both this town and nearby Larson were named for an early postmaster who served the area (Columbus Larson) ...
. In 1959, he became the head basketball coach at
Bishop Ryan High School Bishop Ryan Catholic School is a PK–12 private, Roman Catholic, co-educational school in Minot, North Dakota, United States. Established in 1958, it is within the Diocese of Bismarck, and named for Vincent James Ryan, the second bishop of the ...
in Minot, where he stayed until 1964. In 1961, Brown was recalled to military service for one year due to the Berlin Crisis. While there, he served as head coach of the basketball and track teams in
Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...
,
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
; which both won championships.. He received an
honorable discharge A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...
from the U.S, Army as a
sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
. Brown is a member of the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame,
National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a hall of fame and museum dedicated to men's college basketball. The museum is an integral portion of the College Basketball Experience created by the Nation ...
, and Minot State University Sports Hall of Fame.


After North Dakota (1964–1972)

Brown left North Dakota in 1964 for various coaching jobs around the country: *1964–1965: Garfield junior high school basketball coach-Berkeley, California. *1965–1966: Palm Springs high school head basketball coach-Palm Springs, California. *1966–1971: Assistant basketball coach,
Utah State University Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public university, public land grant colleges, land-grant research university with its main campus in Logan, Utah, United States. Founded in 1888 under the Morrill Land-Grant Acts as Utah's federal ...
*1971–1972: Assistant basketball coach,
Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...


LSU: Early years (1972–1978)

Brown came to
LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
in the spring of 1972, replacing
Press Maravich Peter "Press" Maravich (August 29, 1915 – April 15, 1987) was an American college and professional basketball coach. He received the nickname "Press" as a boy, when one of his jobs was selling the '' Pittsburgh Press'' on the streets of his hom ...
as head coach. The LSU program had received great notoriety under Press Maravich because of his All-American son, Pete. In spite of the publicity, however, LSU finished 10 games under .500 during Maravich's tenure (including a 10-16 record in his final season), with only two winning seasons, no NCAA tournaments, and only one NIT appearance in six years. Brown took over a program which had not been to the NCAA tournament since
1954 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
, and had only four winning seasons in the 18 years since then. Brown had a winning record in his first season at LSU and he was voted as SEC Coach of the Year. The Tigers finished 14–10, with a 9–9 record in the
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
. In his first home game, the Tigers beat #11 Memphis State 94–81, who went on to become NCAA runner-up. The Tigers were picked to finish last in the SEC, but were a surprising fifth. The Tigers regressed during his next three years at LSU, with losing records in each season. LSU stuck with Brown, who was quickly developing a reputation for his tireless efforts to promote college basketball in the football-hungry state of
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
. Former
Nicholls State University Nicholls State University is a public university in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Founded in 1948, Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System. Originally named Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the university is named for Francis T. Nichol ...
head basketball coach Don Landry, a colleague of Brown in Louisiana, fondly remembered Brown's early years in a 2005 newspaper article
"As soon as he was hired he started traveling the state and giving out nets. Wherever there was a basketball goal, he would stop and introduce himself as the new coach at LSU and hand out nets. I had never heard of such a thing and I really looked forward to meeting him after learning how hard he worked, how aggressive he was and how conscious he was of spreading the word about basketball in this state."
It was this intensity and focus that helped Brown win over LSU fans, players and recruits. He also developed a reputation for being a powerful and inspirational speaker. These traits helped Brown earn the nickname that stuck with him throughout his tenure at LSU, "The Master Motivator". Brown's hard work began paying off in the 1976–1977 season. Led by the emergence of freshman Durand "Rudy" Macklin, the Tigers finished with a 15–12 record that year. In 1977–1978, LSU was led again by Macklin, then a first-team all-conference selection. The team finished 18–9, and was 12–6 in the Southeastern Conference, including a thrilling 95–94 overtime victory over eventual national champion
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
, which came despite all five LSU starters fouling out of the game.


Glory years: 1979–1981

In the 1978–1979 season, Brown's Tigers dramatically improved their record, in spite of losing Rudy Macklin to injury. Led by all-conference first team members
DeWayne Scales DeWayne Jay Scales (born December 28, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'8" forward from Louisiana State University, Scales played in the NBA from 1980 to 1984 as a member of the New York Knicks and Washington Bull ...
and
Al Green Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), known professionally as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer. He is best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Tired of ...
, LSU finished 23–6. The Tigers also finished 14–4 in the SEC, giving LSU its first regular-season conference championship and first NCAA tournament appearance in 25 years. LSU made it to the Sweet 16 of the 1979 NCAA tournament, but lost to
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
without star player DeWayne Scales who was suspended for the tournament for violating team rules. The Spartans, led by
Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...
, went on to win the National Championship. Macklin returned to the team for the 1979–1980 season. With Macklin and Scales, LSU had one of the best forward combinations in the country. Macklin was a first-team all-conference selection, and Scales was a second-team selection. In addition, guard Ethan Martin emerged as a second-team selection. The Tigers improved their record again, finishing 26–6. They also finished 14–4 in conference again, finishing second in conference play before going on to win what would be the program's only
SEC men's basketball tournament The SEC men's basketball tournament is the conference tournament in basketball for the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It is a single-elimination tournament that involves all league schools (currently 16). Its seeding is based on regular season re ...
. The Tigers also went one round deeper than the previous year in the 1980 NCAA tournament. This year, they lost in the Elite 8 to
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
. Like Michigan State the year before, Louisville (led by
Darrell Griffith Darrell Steven Griffith (born June 16, 1958), also known by his nickname Dr. Dunkenstein, is an American former professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1980 t ...
) went on to win the National Championship. The Tigers improved again in the 1980–1981 season. In fact, it would be the winningest year in LSU history. This year, Brown took his team to the
Final Four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
, the second in LSU history, and the first of the Brown era. The team finished 31–5 (most wins in the nation) and won the conference championship with a 17–1 record. The team also set a school record winning 26 straight games, including its first 17 conference games and the only SEC team to ever win 17 consecutive league games in the same season with only a loss to powerhouse
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
in
Rupp Arena Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center is an arena located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of Central Bank Center (formerly Lexington Center), a convention and shopping facility ...
stopping LSU from becoming the only team to complete an 18-game SEC slate with an unblemished mark. Rudy Macklin was an
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
, as well as First Team All SEC. Ethan Martin also made First Team All SEC, and
Howard Carter Howard Carter (9 May 18742 March 1939) was a British archaeologist and Egyptology, Egyptologist who Discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered Tomb of Tutankhamun, the intact tomb of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, 18th Dynasty Pharaoh ...
made the Second Team. LSU advanced to the
Final Four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
by beating
Wichita State Wichita State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 ...
96–85 in the Elite 8 round of the 1981 NCAA tournament, played in front of home-state fans in the
Louisiana Superdome Caesars Superdome (originally Louisiana Superdome and formerly Mercedes-Benz Superdome), commonly known as the Superdome, is a domed multi-purpose stadium in the Southern United States, southern United States, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. ...
. To reach the regional final, LSU defeated future SEC rival
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
, coached at the time by
Eddie Sutton Edward Eugene Sutton (March 12, 1936 – May 23, 2020) was an American college basketball coach. A native of Bucklin, Kansas, Sutton played college basketball at Oklahoma A&M (later Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball, Oklahoma State) and was a h ...
, who would tangle with Brown for four seasons at Kentucky. Unfortunately for Brown and the Tigers, Macklin was injured in the Wichita State game and was not 100 percent for the
Final Four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
. The Tigers lost in the national semifinal game to
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
. In addition, for the third year in a row, LSU was eliminated by the eventual national champion, as Indiana (led by
Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III ( ; born April 30, 1961), also known as "Zeke", is an American former professional basketball player who is head coach of the Saginaw Soul of the Basketball Super League, and also an analyst for NBA TV and Fox Sports. H ...
) won it all. Brown was named College Basketball Coach of the Year for his team's performance.


Disappointment and investigation: 1982–1985

Like many other teams that reach the Final Four with a senior superstar, Brown's Tigers experienced a decline in the next two years. LSU still had star players in
Howard Carter Howard Carter (9 May 18742 March 1939) was a British archaeologist and Egyptology, Egyptologist who Discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered Tomb of Tutankhamun, the intact tomb of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, 18th Dynasty Pharaoh ...
and Leonard Mitchell, but the team would not make the NCAA tournament in 1982 and 1983. The Tigers finished 14–14 and 19–13 in those years, and were invited to the NIT in both seasons but lost in the first round. The team got back on track in the next two seasons, but these years proved to be even more frustrating. The next wave of star players had emerged. Among them were Jerry "Ice Man" Reynolds,
Derrick Taylor Derrick Howard Taylor (born March 15 1964) is an American former professional American football, football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL), who played for the New Orleans Saints during the 1987 NFL season. He played college foo ...
, Nikita Wilson, Don Redden and
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
(Brown's most celebrated recruit to date). The Tigers had improved regular seasons, finishing 18–11 in 1983–1984 and 19–10 in 1984–1985. The 1984–1985 team also won the
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
championship with a 13–5 record. However, both seasons ended with tremendous disappointments. In 1984, the Tigers were upset by #10-seed
Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
. 1985 was even more embarrassing for the Tigers. LSU was a #4-seed going into the 1985 NCAA tournament, but were beaten badly by #13-seed
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
(led by a then-unknown
David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...
). It was also during this time that Brown began having some of his most notorious run-ins with the NCAA. Brown became an outspoken and relentless critic of the NCAA, calling them "hypocrites" and even "The Gestapo". He has consistently argued that the NCAA should be more compassionate when enforcing rules governing compensation for
student-athletes Student athlete (or student–athlete) is a term used principally in universities in the United States and Canada to describe students enrolled at postsecondary educational institutions, principally colleges and universities, but also at sec ...
, especially in situations involving athletes who were truly in need. The NCAA began a four-year investigation into Brown and the LSU basketball program in the early 1980s. The investigation yielded only some minor infractions. Nothing significant or shocking was uncovered, and Brown was not connected to any of the reported infractions.


"The master motivator": 1986–1988

The 1985–1986 season was well on its way to being the most disastrous season yet for Brown and his Tigers. However, he rallied the team and turned the season into what is fondly known to many LSU fans as the greatest season in the school's basketball history. The Tigers overcame several obstacles to reach their third-ever Final Four, the second under Brown. Before the season began, Jerry "Ice" Reynolds went pro early. Incoming freshman
Tito Horford Alfredo William "Tito" Horford (born January 19, 1966) is a Dominican retired professional basketball player who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (39th overall) of the 1988 NBA draft. Horford played three years in the N ...
was kicked off the team two months into the season. Starting center Zoran Jovanovich injured his knee in December. Nikita Wilson was academically ineligible after the fall semester. Brown was forced late in the season to move shooting guard Ricky Blanton to starting center. In addition to all these troubles, some LSU players contracted
chicken pox Chickenpox, also known as varicella ( ), is a highly contagious disease caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family. The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which ...
during the Southeastern Conference regular season, including star player John Williams. In spite of all these troubles, LSU jumped out to a 14–0 start, and finished with a 22–11 record. LSU made it into the 1986 NCAA tournament as an 11-seed. Some people were critical of the inclusion, arguing that a slumping team with 11 losses did not deserve an at-large bid. But thanks in part to an unusual, confusing defense Brown devised, which he called the " Freak Defense", the Tigers overcame their lack of talent and depth to make an unlikely run. Also to LSU's advantage was that their 1st and 2nd-round games were played on their home floor (a practice that the NCAA no longer allows due to the significant advantage it can give). After a double-overtime upset victory over #6 seed
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...
, LSU had to beat the top three seeds in its region to reach the Final Four. The Tigers did just that, defeating #3 seed Memphis State in the second round (on a last-second shot by Anthony Wilson), #2 seed
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...
in the Sweet 16, and top seed Kentucky (which had already beaten LSU three times that year) in the Elite 8. The Tigers, however, lost to #2 seed
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
in the National Semifinals and finished with a 26–12 record. Louisville went on to win the National Championship. LSU's 1986 team is remembered as the first 11-seed to reach the
Final Four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
, and the only team to beat the top three seeds to get there. The 1986–1987 season was almost a carbon copy of the previous season, except that Brown finished just seconds away from taking LSU to another Final Four. The Tigers lost Don Redden and Derrick Taylor to graduation, Williams went pro, and Blanton was lost for the season with knee surgery. The Tigers were forced to rely on role players and overachievers. The team lost 14 games during the season, but reached the 1987 NCAA tournament as a #10 seed. LSU won the first game of the tournament in an upset over #7 seed Georgia Tech. Next, LSU beat #3 seed
Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
and #2 seed DePaul. That set up a showdown with top-seed
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
in the Elite 8. LSU was in control for most of the game, and had a 9-point lead with five minutes remaining, but Indiana mounted a furious comeback, and defeated LSU 77–76 in the last six seconds. The Hoosiers won the National Championship; it was the fifth time in nine years that Brown's Tigers were eliminated by the eventual national champion. The 1987 season saw LSU give Kentucky its worst defeat ever in Rupp Arena, 76–41. From 1978 to 1992, the Tigers had great success against the Wildcats, defeating them 17 times in this 15-year span. LSU struggled again during the 1987–1988 regular season. The Tigers entered the 1988 NCAA tournament with a 16–13 record, barely making the field again, this time as a #9-seed. By now, many LSU fans were not concerned about the poor regular season, as they now just figured that Brown would easily engineer another Cinderella run. But the Tigers lost to Georgetown in the first round 66–63 on a last-second shot. In spite of the disappointment in 1988, Brown had already established his reputation as the "Master Motivator"; he was now considered a coach who could get the best out of his less-talented teams through inspiration, sheer will, and the "Freak Defense".


Superstar era: 1989–1993

Brown reached the Final Four with a talented, veteran team in 1981. He then made it again with a team of mostly overachievers in 1986. Now, he had the opportunity to see what he could do with bona fide superstars. Unfortunately for Brown, these years arguably proved to be the most disappointing of his LSU career. It was during these years that the "Master Motivator" label backfired on him. By the end of the 1992 season, Brown was known as a coach who could get the most out of his least talented teams, but did not get the best results with NBA caliber talent. Chris Jackson,
Stanley Roberts Stanley Corvet Roberts (born February 7, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who played center. He was said to have the potential to be the best center of all time. He played college basketball for Louisiana State Unive ...
and Vernel Singleton came to LSU in 1988–1989 (Roberts was not eligible to play that season.)
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
and Maurice Williamson (son of former NBA and ABA star John Williamson) came in 1989–1990. Jamie Brandon committed to LSU in 1991–1992. Future NBA first-round choice
Geert Hammink Geert Hendrik Hammink (born 12 July 1969) is a Dutch former basketball player and current coach. He was most recently the head coach of the Antwerp Giants of the BNXT League. He was selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round (26th overall) ...
was Shaq's backup at center before becoming an all-conference player in 1993. Of these recruits, Jackson, Roberts, O'Neal and Brandon were
McDonald's All American The McDonald's All-American Game is an American all-star basketball game played each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the hi ...
s. Jackson, a sophomore, and freshmen Roberts and O'Neal only played one year together. Jackson, who later converted to
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
and changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, was the first of these recruits to become a star. He exploded on the scene to become an All-American in his freshman year. He was the leading scorer in the nation and still holds the record for a freshman, averaging 30.2 points a game. Jackson and fifth-year senior Blanton led LSU to a 20-win season in 1989. The Tigers, however lost in the first round of the 1989 NCAA tournament to
UTEP The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas, United States. Founded in 1913 as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, it is the third oldest academic component of the University of Texas Syste ...
, led by future NBA star
Tim Hardaway Timothy Duane Hardaway Sr. (born September 1, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player. Hardaway played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets a ...
. In terms of player talent, the 1989–1990 team was the best Brown ever assembled. The roster included four future first-round NBA picks (Jackson, Roberts, O'Neal and Hammink), and two of them (Jackson and O'Neal) were current or future All-Americans. The team started the season ranked #2, but failed to meet those expectations by the end of the season. Jackson was named All-American for the second year in a row, and the Tigers finished a respectable 23–9. They had some big wins against
UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. ...
107–105,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
124–113,
Loyola Marymount Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. LMU enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, making it the largest Catholic university on the west coast of the ...
148–141, Kentucky 94–81, and Notre Dame 87–64. However, UNLV went on to win the national championship, and Texas and Loyola Marymount each appeared in the Elite Eight. LSU lost in the second round of the 1990 NCAA tournament to Georgia Tech; 94–91. Tech, led by future NBA players Kenny Anderson, Dennis Scott, Malcolm Mackey and Brian Oliver, went on to the Final Four. After the season, Jackson went on to the NBA and Roberts left to play pro ball in Europe. Their departures allowed O'Neal to blossom into a superstar. He would be named an All-American in 1991 and 1992, and was the 1991 National Player of the Year. He also helped lead LSU to a Southeastern Conference co-championship in 1991.. The 1991 team won 20 games and the 1992 squad won 21 but both seasons ended in disappointment. LSU lost badly to
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
with an injured O'Neal in the first round of the 1991 NCAA Tournament. In the 1992 NCAA Tournament, LSU lost in the second round to
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
. During O'Neal's three years at LSU, the Tigers won 72% of their SEC games, won one SEC conference title and finished second twice. O'Neal left after the 1991–1992 season, but LSU still won 22 games in 1992–1993. The Tigers were now led by Hammink and Brandon. But as had become the custom in recent years, LSU lost early in the
1993 NCAA tournament The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
. This year, the Tigers were eliminated by
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
and its superstar freshman,
Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
, on a last second shot, 66–64 in the first round. In spite of all the talent and five straight 20-win seasons between 1988 and 1993, Brown failed to get any of these teams to the Sweet 16. In fact, the 1993 NCAA tournament appearance would be the last post-season appearance of the Brown era, and the school's last until 2000.


Mediocrity and the Lester Earl incident: 1994–1997

Brown's final four years at LSU were forgettable. All four seasons ended in losing records. Brown was still occasionally bringing talented players into the program, but the team failed to perform and did not work out due to the loss of numerous star players because of injuries, dismissal from the team, or leaving early for the NBA. In 1993–1994 Brown brought in two more
McDonald's All American The McDonald's All-American Game is an American all-star basketball game played each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the hi ...
s: Randy Livingston and Ronnie Henderson. Livingston's LSU career was limited to 29 games. Serious knee injuries kept him from becoming the superstar he was projected to be; he was forced to go pro early before knee problems became worse. Henderson had a good career but did not play in the NBA. Former Memphis star Sylvester Ford joined the team in 1995, but he injured his knee early and was eventually dismissed from the team. The beginning of the end for Brown came in 1996–97, when Lester Earl was suspended 11 games into the season. He transferred to the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
soon afterward. While at Kansas, Earl admitted that an LSU assistant coach gave him money when he was at LSU. The NCAA quickly began an investigation. It found no evidence that Brown or his assistants paid Earl, however it did find that a former booster paid Earl about $5,000 while he was attending LSU. LSU was placed on probation in 1998. After the incident, many Brown and LSU supporters were angry with the NCAA's decision. They were convinced that the NCAA unfairly came down hard on LSU only because Brown had long been a thorn in its side. They were also angry that Earl received immunity for his testimony regarding receiving money from a booster connected to Brown, never had to repay the money, and would eventually regain the eligibility he lost when he transferred from LSU. In August 2007, Earl made comments that suggest that the witch hunt theory may have been true.


Retirement from LSU: 1997

After his departure from LSU, Dale Brown kept a low profile in his involvement with LSU athletics. He stayed in Baton Rouge after his retirement and created his own business, Dale Brown Enterprises. Brown has also worked as a
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
analyst and is a motivational speaker and author of several books. He was also the CEO of the Dale Brown Foundation established in 1986 to help those in need. The Foundation was very active after the hurricanes devastated Louisiana in 2005. In 2001, reports surfaced that Brown was considering running for the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
in
North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
.
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
in the state tried to persuade Brown to challenge
incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position. In an election, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the position that is up for election, regardless of whether they are seeking re-election. There may or may not be ...
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...
Earl Pomeroy Earl Ralph Pomeroy III (born September 2, 1952) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2011. He is a member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party. He currently serves as senior counsel fo ...
, but he decided against it. Two years later his name surfaced again, this time as a potential candidate to run for the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
in 2004 against
incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position. In an election, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the position that is up for election, regardless of whether they are seeking re-election. There may or may not be ...
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...
Byron Dorgan Byron Leslie Dorgan (born May 14, 1942) is an American author, businessman and former politician who served as a United States House of Representatives, United States Representative (1981–1992) and United States Senate, United States Senator (1 ...
. After several trips to Washington, D.C., he decided not to run. Brown suffered a
stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
on April 24, 2003, but made a strong recovery and was back at work a month later. In 2004, former LSU athletic director and basketball player Joe Dean, who announced many LSU games as a television
color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
during Brown's tenure as a coach submitted a letter to a Baton Rouge newspaper saying that he believes that the basketball floor at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center should be named after Brown. In addition, LSU honored Brown and his 1986 team in February on the 20th anniversary of their improbable run to the
Final Four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
. In the summer of 2007, Brown appeared on the ABC show ''Shaq's Big Challenge'' to offer words of encouragement to Shaquille O'Neal about helping obese children. He also was an advisor to
Matthew McConaughey Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He achieved his breakthrough with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first su ...
, who played the role of
Marshall University Marshall University is a public university, public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1837 and is named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States, chief justice of the Uni ...
football coach
Jack Lengyel Jack Robert Lengyel (born March 4, 1935) is an American software executive and former college football coach, college lacrosse coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the College of Wooster from 1966 to 1970 an ...
in the movie ''
We Are Marshall ''We Are Marshall'' is a 2006 American biographical sports drama film directed by McG. It depicts the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 75 people: 37 players of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, five coaches, ...
''. In the August 22, 2007 Baton Rouge Advocate, Lester Earl issued an apology to Brown, then-assistant head coach Johnny Jones, and LSU in general for his role in the NCAA investigation. Earl now claims that the NCAA pressured him into making false claims against Dale Brown or else he would lose years of NCAA eligibility. "I was pressured into telling them SOMETHING. I was 19 years old at that time. The NCAA intimidated me, manipulated me into making up things, and basically encouraged me to lie, in order to be able to finish my playing career at Kansas. They told me if we don't find any dirt on Coach Brown you won't be allowed to play but one more year at Kansas. I caused great harm, heartache and difficulties for so many people. I feel sorriest for hurting Coach Brown. Coach Brown, I apologize to you for tarnishing your magnificent career at LSU." The NCAA has declined additional comment on the situation. Brown says that he has forgiven Earl: "The most interesting journey that a person can make is discovering himself. I believe Lester has done that, and I forgive him."


Depictions in media

* In 2012, Brown was the subject of the documentary ''Man in the Glass: The Dale Brown Story''. In 2015, ESPN produced a documentary of his time spent with Shaquille O'Neal as his star player at LSU with ''Shaq & Dale''. * Brown has written six books, The Four Hurdles OF Life, Words To Lift Your Spirits, A Collection Of Thoughts On Life, Tiger In A Lions Den and Freak Defense. ''.''


Personal life

Brown married Vonnie Ness who taught international folk dancing at Minot State, Utah State and LSU. She was a cheerleader at Minot State and won the Talent and Miss Congeniality awards in the 1958 Miss North Dakota Pageant. They have one daughter, Robyn Brown Prudhomme, and three grandchildren, Christopher, Peyton, and Cameron. Brown had two older sisters: Lorraine Brown Ahmann (1923–2012) and Eleanor Brown Haider (1924–2015).


Summary of Brown's 25 years at LSU: 1972–1997

Brown is the only SEC coach to have ever appeared in 15 straight national tournaments and only 11 coaches in NCAA history have made more consecutive NCAA appearances (10). Only Adolph Rupp of Kentucky has won more games in SEC history. Brown and Rupp are the only SEC coaches that had 17 consecutive non-losing seasons. Only 4 coaches in the SEC have won more conference championships, Adolph Rupp, Joe Hall, Tubby Smith, and Billy Donovan. Only seven coaches in the SEC have led their teams to two Final Fours or more while coaching SEC teams. They are Dale Brown, John Calipari, Billy Donovan, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino, Nolan Richardson, and Adolph Rupp. On nine occasions Brown was selected as the SEC Coach of the Year or Runner-Up. He was twice chosen as the National Coach of the Year. In a 10-year span from 1977 to 1986, LSU is the only school to finish in the first division of the SEC. He has the distinction of beating Kentucky 18 times more than any coach in the nation. 115 of 160 of his players received their college degrees. He is a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was inducted as an SEC Living Legend. In 2010, the Tiger Rag, the Bible of LSU sports, ranked Brown in the top 5 of the most influential people in LSU athletics history. He was selected by Bleacher Report as one of the 50 greatest basketball coaches in college basketball history. In 1982, Brown coached the West team in the College All-Star game, defeating the
Bob Knight Robert Montgomery Knight (October 25, 1940 – November 1, 2023) was an American men's college basketball coach (basketball), coach. Nicknamed "the General", he won 902 NCAA Division I men's basketball games, a record at the time of his retire ...
-coached East team, 102–68. In 1990, he coached the South team in the National Olympic Festival, winning the gold medal over the
Lon Kruger Lonnie Duane Kruger (born August 19, 1952) is an American former college and professional basketball coach (sport), coach who was most recently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma. Kruger played college basketball for K ...
-coached North team, 95–94. During Brown's era,LSU set the record for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th largest paid attendance for a regular season game in college basketball history. *1-20-90 Superdome - 68,112 - LSU 87 Notre Dame 64 *1-28-89 Superdome - 66,144 - LSU 82 Georgetown 80 *1-03-92 Superdome - 61,304 - LSU 84 Texas 83


Accolades

Legendary coach
John Wooden John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Westwood", he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, nati ...
and
Billy Packer Anthony William Packer (born Anthony William Paczkowski; February 25, 1940 – January 26, 2023) was an American college basketball player, sportscaster, and author. Packer spent more than three decades working as a color analyst for television ...
, CBS television analyst, have paid Coach Brown wonderful tributes about his career at LSU. Wooden said, "Dale did an outstanding job in raising the level of LSU basketball to the status of equality to anyone in the country. Also, if heads of states throughout this troubled world of ours had real concern and consideration for others as Dale Brown, I doubt if our racial, religious, and political problems would be a major issue." Packer stated, "Dale Brown is one of those rare individuals who has the ability to take on the toughest of tasks regardless of the odds against success and come out a winner. He has proven to be one of college basketball's best and a fine coach and man." On January 4, 2022, LSU inaugurated "Dale Brown Court" as the home venue for the Tigers basketball team in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.


Head coaching record


LSU basketball records

* Most overall wins: 448 * Most SEC wins: 238 (second to Adolph Rupp) * Most wins in a season: 31 * Most consecutive wins in a season: 26 * Most consecutive SEC wins in a season: 17 * Most consecutive non-losing seasons: 17 (SEC record shared with
Adolph Rupp Adolph Frederick Rupp (September 2, 1901 – December 10, 1977) was an American college basketball coach. Nicknamed the "Baron of the Bluegrass", he coached the University of Kentucky Wildcats to four NCAA Division I men's basketball tournam ...
) * Most SEC regular season championships: 4 and 4 times runner-up. * Only SEC Tournament championship: 1980 * Most wins over Kentucky: 18 (of LSU's 27 total, most wins of any coach over Kentucky) * Most NCAA Tournament appearances: 13 (of LSU's 22 total) * Most consecutive national tournaments: 15 (of LSU's 25 total, SEC record) * Most Final Four appearances: 2 (of LSU's 4 total) * Most Elite Eight Appearances 4 (of LSU's 6 total) * Highest finish in the polls: 2nd in 1980 and 3rd in 1981 * Most points in a single game: 159 (SEC record) * Played in front of the largest crowd (54,321) at that time to ever watch a regular season game on January 28, 1989, in the Superdome and defeated second- ranked Georgetown, 82–80. * In 1990 the Superdome again was the site of a new NCAA regular season paid attendance record of 68,112 when LSU defeated Notre Dame, 87–64 * Coaching Honors: * 1. On nine occasions selected as SEC Coach of the Year or Runner-up. * 2.On seven occasions voted Louisiana College Basketball Coach of the Year. * 3.Two times chosen as National College Basketball Coach of the Year.. * 4.Member of National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Louisiana Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, LSU Sports Hall of Fame, SEC Living Legends, and Louisiana Legends. * 5. Selected by the Bleacher Report as one of the 50 greatest coaches in college basketball history.. * 6. On September 10, 2021, The LSU Board of Supervisors voted to name the basketball court inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center the "Dale Brown Court".


References


External links


LSU Tigers Athletics
– Dale Brown

– head coaching record
''Baton Rouge Christian Life'' magazine
– Memories of family and faith with Coach Dale Brown {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Dale 1935 births Living people American men's basketball players American men's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from North Dakota Basketball players from North Dakota College basketball announcers in the United States College men's basketball head coaches in the United States High school basketball coaches in California High school basketball coaches in North Dakota LSU Tigers men's basketball coaches Minot State Beavers football players Minot State Beavers men's basketball players Minot State University alumni National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Palm Springs High School people Sportspeople from Minot, North Dakota University of Oregon alumni Utah State Aggies men's basketball coaches Washington State Cougars men's basketball coaches 20th-century American sportsmen