An icon, one of the most winningest coaches in the NCAA, the best big man detector, and the only man who defended Shaquille O’Neal perfectly, Dale Brown passed away on Friday, October 23. He was 90. His family, through Louisiana State University, announced his passing on Friday, just over a week shy of what would have been his 91st birthday.

The legendary LSU men’s basketball head coach guided the Tigers to two NCAA Final Four appearances. But he was best known for discovering and shaping the career of NBA hall-of-famer Shaquille O’Neal along with John “Hot Rod” Williams, Rudy Macklin, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and Stanley Roberts.

“We have lost the most loving and most loved man any of us has ever known,” Brown’s family said in LSU’s statement. “Dale Brown always put others first. He always led with the heart. He was always a great humanitarian before anything else. Dale long ago fell in love with Louisiana. And the people of Louisiana loved him right back. We are forever grateful for that.”

The news arrived just days after Brown was announced as a recipient of the prestigious John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award, honoring his long-standing contributions and impact on college basketball. Shaquille O’Neal recorded a special tribute for his coach for that.

“He made me one of the best basketball players ever,” O’Neal said in the video. “Daddy Dale — we call you ‘Daddy’ for a reason. I love you and congratulations. I am so proud of you, Coach.”

Daddy Dale was the one who found a superiorly tall 13-year-old Shaq on a military base in Germany and recruited him to LSU. Across 25 seasons in Baton Rouge from 1972 to 1997, Brown compiled a school-record 448 victories, captured four Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular-season championships, and made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. Named the National Coach of the Year in 1981 and a four-time SEC Coach of the Year, Brown’s energetic sideline presence transformed the Pete Maravich Assembly Center into one of the most intimidating arenas in college hoops, earning the famous moniker the Deaf Dome”.

Among his greatest achievements was mentoring O’Neal during his three-season tenure at LSU from 1989 to 1992 before the 7’1 center was selected first overall in the 1992 NBA Draft. Demonstrating why Shaq calls him Daddy, Brown was close to blows with a college kid in Shaq’s defense.

The time Dale Brown put it all on the line for Shaquille O’Neal

When Brown arrived in Baton Rouge in 1972 following assistant coaching stints at Utah State and Washington State, LSU basketball lacked national visibility. That changed during his debut campaign when the Tigers shocked third-ranked Memphis State in their home opener, setting the stage for a quarter-century of success.

Brown led the Tigers to the Final Four in 1981 behind All-American forward Rudy Macklin and again in 1986 as an 11th-seed, orchestrating one of the most memorable underdog runs in NCAA Tournament history. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Brown recruited dominant frontcourt titans like Shaq and Stanley Roberts, alongside explosive scoring guard Chris Jackson (later Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf), drawing national media attention to the program.

He was so protective of Shaq that, during a 1992 game against Tennessee, he threw hands against another player. Vols’ Carlus Groves intentionally hard-fouled O’Neal, which resulted in both players getting physical. Amid the fracas, Brown charged onto the court and tried to shove Groves off his star player. The ensuing melee went on for 16 minutes!

Brown was only reprimanded, but both players were ejected. That again angered the coach, who slammed the NCAA for punishing Shaq. LSU won the game 99-89, and he famously followed up the incident declaring, “Players are like sons to you after a while. As badly as I hate to say this, I am recommending to Shaquille’s parents that he turns NBA. I do not want to see this young man blatantly fouled and hurt because of my selfishness to win. He doesn’t play pro ball. If he’s going to get hurt and people are going to intentionally foul him, he needs to go get money to get hurt.”

This is significant because Shaq’s parents wanted him to earn a degree before entering the NBA. O’Neal did complete his degree after entering the NBA and fulfilled both his coach’s and parents’ wishes.

The big man hasn’t yet responded, but others have. John Calipari, who had the privilege of being mentored by Brown, tweeted, “I just found out Coach Dale Brown passed away. He has treated me like family all the way back to 1992/93 with my UMASS team. We have stayed in touch religiously over the years. He was at just about every LSU game that I coached in that building, including going to dinner the night before the game. Not only a great basketball coach but a good man. May he rest in peace.”

Known for some expletive-laden speeches that could fit into a sports blockbuster, fans flooded old clips of Brown’s locker room addresses, including this gem.

“It’s my fault. I’m the leader of the ship. I’m not embarrassed for the people that showed up here. I’m not embarrassed about the media. They aren’t your friends anyway. I’m embarrassed for you as people.”

In 2022, LSU officially named the home basketball court at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in his honor. Unveiled in front of former players and staff, Brown redirected praise back to his program, stating, “The best potential of me is we. This is an example.”

Following his coaching career, Brown served as a motivational speaker, basketball analyst and founded the Dale Brown Foundation to support students with physical disabilities and financial difficulties. Inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, Brown’s legacy as a motivator and advocate leaves an indelible mark on college athletics.

Brown is survived by his wife of 67 years, Vonnie, a daughter, Robyn Brown Prudhomme, and three grandsons.