Dale Brown Dies at 90 After Receiving Wooden Award Nomination

Dale Brown, the longtime head coach of the LSU men's basketball team, died on Friday, Oct. 23. He was 90 years old. His death occurred just 48 hours after the university announced that he had been selected for the 2027 John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.

Brown held the LSU head coaching position for 25 seasons, spanning from 1972 to 1997. During that tenure, he compiled a record of 448 wins, which remains the highest total in the school's history. Under his leadership, the Tigers secured four Southeastern Conference regular-season titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament on 13 occasions. The program reached the Final Four in 1981 and 1986.

The coaching staff included several players who went on to professional careers. Notable alumni under Brown's direction were Shaquille O'Neal, Rudy Macklin, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who played as Chris Jackson. Brown received the Associated Press National Coach of the Year honor in 1981. He was also named the SEC Coach of the Year four times and was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Brown's family issued a statement describing him as a man who prioritized others above himself. The family said he was a humanitarian before anything else and that he always led with his heart. They noted that he fell in love with Louisiana early in his career and that the state's residents reciprocated that affection. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted on X that Brown put LSU Basketball on the map and that his impact would last for decades.

In 2022, the university named the court inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center after Brown. In 2023, the name was updated to Dale Brown/Sue Gunter Court to honor both former coaches. Brown, who was born in Minot, North Dakota, arrived in Baton Rouge in 1972 to build a competitive program. He traveled across the state to promote the team and engage fans. In 1979, LSU won its first SEC regular-season title since 1954.

In a 2025 interview with WAFB reporter Chris Nakamoto, Brown recalled a game against top-ranked Kentucky where all five starters fouled out. He told his remaining players that they were no longer substitutes but backups, and the team won the contest. Brown credited his mother with teaching him to do what is right and to stand up for it. He also recalled her warning that spending too much time polishing one's image tarnishes character. Brown was born on Oct. 31, 1935, and died eight days before his 91st birthday.