LSU Coach Dale Brown Dies at 90

Longtime Louisiana State University basketball coach Dale Brown died on Friday, October 23. He was 90 years old.

Brown’s most famous recruiting success came in 1984 at a military base in West Germany. He was running a basketball clinic there when a 13-year-old Shaquille O'Neal approached him for advice. The teenager stood 6 feet, 9 inches tall at the time. Brown initially assumed the boy was a soldier and asked how long he had served in the Army. Upon learning the young man was only 13, Brown recognized his talent.

The two maintained a correspondence over the following years. Brown sent O'Neal letters containing basketball exercises as the athlete developed into a top high school prospect. Brown eventually recruited O'Neal to LSU, where he played from 1989 to 1992. During his time in Baton Rouge, O'Neal earned two consensus All-American honors and was named SEC Player of the Year twice. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft.

O'Neal’s relationship with Brown extended beyond college. In a 1999 letter congratulating Brown on his induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, O'Neal wrote: "You are the only college coach I ever had, and the only one I ever wanted." Brown attended O'Neal’s first NBA championship celebration with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. O'Neal returned to LSU that same year to complete his degree, fulfilling a promise made to his family and Brown when he left in 1992.

In 2015, ESPN aired the documentary "Shaq & Dale." Directed by Hannah Storm and narrated by Tim McGraw, the film chronicled the bond between the coach and player from their meeting in Germany through O'Neal’s professional career. LSU Athletics noted that the pair kept in regular contact via letters and emails for decades.

Brown received a final recognition shortly before his death. On October 21, LSU announced he would be the 2027 recipient of the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. The award is scheduled for presentation in April 2027. O'Neal recorded a video message congratulating Brown on the honor and reflecting on his former coach’s impact on his life.