Dale Brown dies at 90 after 25 years building LSU basketball

Dale Brown, the former head coach of the Louisiana State University men's basketball team, died on Friday, October 23. He was 90 years old. His death occurred two days after the university announced he would receive the 2027 John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.

Brown took charge of the LSU program in 1972 and guided the team for 25 seasons. During that tenure, he recorded 448 wins, a school record. His teams captured four Southeastern Conference regular-season championships and qualified for the NCAA Tournament 13 times. The Tigers reached the Final Four in 1981 and 1986 under his leadership.

Before joining LSU, Brown built a reputation for developing players who went on to professional success. His roster included Shaquille O'Neal, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and Rudy Macklin. In 1981, the Associated Press named him National Coach of the Year. He also received SEC Coach of the Year honors 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 named the court inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center after him in 2022. In 2023, the facility was renamed Dale Brown/Sue Gunter Court to honor two former coaches. Brown often spoke about the importance of character in a 2025 interview with WAFB. He credited his mother with teaching him to stand up for what is right and warned that polishing one's image can tarnish character.

Brown's family released a statement describing him as a humanitarian who put others first. They noted that he fell in love with Louisiana and that the state's people loved him back. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted on X that Brown put the program on the map. Sports journalist Marc J. Spears also paid tribute on social media, calling Brown an extraordinary human.

Brown was born on October 31, 1935, in Minot, North Dakota. He died eight days before his 91st birthday. The Wooden Award is scheduled for presentation in 2027 to recognize his influence on the sport.