Dale Brown dies at 90 after coaching Shaq

Dale Brown, the longtime Louisiana State University basketball coach, died Friday, Oct. 23, at the age of 90. He is best known for discovering and developing Shaquille O'Neal, one of the most prominent figures in professional basketball history.

The two first met in 1984 at a military base in West Germany. Brown was conducting a basketball clinic when a 13-year-old O'Neal, who stood 6 feet, 9 inches tall, approached him for advice. Brown initially mistook the teenager for an Army soldier. After learning the young player's age, Brown recognized his potential and began mailing him letters and specific basketball exercises to improve his game.

O'Neal described Brown as a father figure who motivated him away from the court. The coach eventually 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 two SEC Player of the Year awards. He was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft.

The bond between the two continued well into O'Neal's professional career. 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 the 2000 ceremony when O'Neal won his first NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. That same year, O'Neal returned to LSU to complete his college degree, fulfilling a promise he had made to his family and Brown.

In 2015, ESPN released the documentary "Shaq & Dale." The film, directed by Hannah Storm and narrated by Tim McGraw, traced the relationship from their meeting in Germany through O'Neal's college and professional years. LSU Athletics noted that the two maintained regular contact through letters and emails for decades.

On Oct. 21, two days before Brown's death, LSU announced that he 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.