Dale Brown
When
Dale Brown arrived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in March 1972, he arrived with a dream that was perceived by many who knew the LSU basketball program as impossible. The dream was to make basketball a fan favorite in Tiger Country and to make it a nationally respected program as well. Brown traveled from one end of the state to the other telling all who would listen about the future of LSU basketball and passing out purple and gold basketball nets. Dale Brown’s straightforward, determined approach, combined with his knowledge of the game, excellent recruiting skills, and his positive philosophy, made his dream a reality. Equally amazing was his 25-year career as the Tigers’ head coach, becoming the winningest coach in LSU basketball history and the second winningest coach in SEC history. He is the only SEC coach to have ever appeared in 15 straight national tournaments. Brown loved a challenge and strived to reach goals that experts termed unrealistic or impossible. Season after season, his teams reflected that same philosophy by overcoming incredible odds to achieve championship status and miraculous appearances in the NCAA tournament. In 1986, the Tigers became the lowest seed (11th) ever to advance to the Final Four and the following season they were two points away from being the second lowest seed (10th) to advance to the Final Four. Brown’s teams played with the same intensity, tenacity, and aggressiveness with which he coached. Brown believes the key ingredient that made LSU basketball so successful stemmed from his close-knit family philosophy. Their emotions were real, like Brown’s, and it was the very foundation in which he built his program. He began his coaching career as a high school coach, where his duties included coaching basketball, wrestling, and track. From 1961 to 1962, he served on active duty during the Berlin Crisis in the U.S. Army, where he coached basketball and track and field. He was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant. He was an assistant coach at Utah State from 1966 to 1971. He spent one year at Washington State as an assistant before becoming the head coach at LSU. In high school in North Dakota, Brown was the leading scorer in both football and basketball. As a senior, he was the state leading scorer in basketball with the highest average ever recorded and set the school record in the 440 dash. Brown earned 12 letters in basketball, football, and track at Minot State University, making him the school’s only athlete to achieve that goal in those three sports. In 1957, he received a BS from Minot State University. In 1964, he received a MS from the University of Oregon. He was selected as the SEC Coach of the Year or runner-up nine times, was voted as the Louisiana College Basketball Coach of the Year seven times, and was chosen as the National College Basketball Coach of the Year two times. He is a member of the Louisiana and North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana and North Dakota Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. Brown is now a motivational speaker and author who has traveled in 90 countries and all 50 states. It is clear that Brown’s success and longevity go hand-in-hand. A true believer in positive thinking and hard work, Dale Brown is a testimony that anything is possible when you believe in yourself and never give up.
