LSU Basketball: Dale Brown dies at 90, days after Wooden Award announcement

Dale Brown, a longtime LSU basketball coach, died on Friday, October 23, at age 90. His death came two days after the university announced he would receive the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in April 2027. Brown is best known for recruiting Shaquille O'Neal, a move that reshaped the trajectory of the NBA star's career and LSU's athletic program.

The connection began in 1984 at a military base in West Germany. Brown was leading a basketball clinic when O'Neal, then 13, approached him. The teenager stood 6 feet, 9 inches tall. Brown initially mistook O'Neal for a soldier and asked about his time in the Army. After learning the boy's age, Brown saw potential and began mailing him letters containing basketball drills. This correspondence continued as O'Neal became a top high school prospect, eventually leading Brown to recruit him for the LSU Tigers.

O'Neal played for LSU from 1989 to 1992. During his time in Baton Rouge, he earned two consensus All-American honors and two SEC Player of the Year awards. He left college early to enter the 1992 NBA draft, where he was selected first overall. In a 2015 interview with Esquire, O'Neal described Brown as a father figure and motivator. He noted that Brown was the only college coach he ever had and the only one he ever wanted.

The two maintained a close relationship through the 1990s and 2000s. O'Neal returned to LSU in 2000 to finish his degree, a promise he had made to Brown and his family when he left in 1992. Brown was present when O'Neal won his first NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers that same year. According to LSU Athletics, the pair stayed in regular contact via letters and emails for decades.

In 2015, ESPN released the documentary "Shaq & Dale," directed by Hannah Storm and narrated by Tim McGraw. The film traced their history from Germany to O'Neal's professional success. On October 21, two days before Brown's death, O'Neal recorded a video message congratulating the coach on the Wooden Award selection. The award ceremony is scheduled for April 2027.