LSU Basketball Coach Dale Brown Dies at 90 After Wooden Award Selection

Dale Brown, the former LSU head basketball coach, died on Friday, Oct. 23, at the age of 90.

Brown’s career is defined by his early identification of Shaquille O'Neal, who went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. The two first connected in 1984 when Brown was conducting a clinic at a military base in West Germany. O'Neal was 13 years old and already stood 6 feet, 9 inches. He approached Brown for advice, but Brown initially mistook him for a soldier and asked how long he had served in the Army. Upon learning the teenager's age, Brown recognized his potential and began sending letters and basketball exercises to the young player.

Their correspondence continued as O'Neal developed into a top high school prospect. Brown recruited O'Neal to LSU, where the center played from 1989 to 1992. During his time in Baton Rouge, O'Neal earned two consensus All-American honors and the SEC Player of the Year award twice. In a 1999 letter to Brown, who was being inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame that year, O'Neal wrote: "You are the only college coach I ever had, and the only one I ever wanted."

The relationship extended well beyond college. Brown attended O'Neal's first NBA championship game with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. That same year, O'Neal returned to LSU to complete his degree, fulfilling a promise he had made to Brown and his family when he left in 1992. In a 2015 Esquire interview, O'Neal described Brown as a "father figure, leader, and a motivator." An ESPN documentary released in 2015, titled "Shaq & Dale," further chronicled their bond from their first meeting in Germany through O'Neal's professional career.

LSU announced on Oct. 21 that Brown had been selected as the 2027 recipient of the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. O'Neal recorded a video message to congratulate his former coach on the honor. Brown was scheduled to receive the award in April 2027.