LSU Coach Dale Brown Dies at 90 Two Days After Award Announcement

Dale Brown, the former LSU basketball coach who guided Shaquille O'Neal from a teen in Germany to the NBA, died on Friday, Oct. 23. He was 90 years old.

The two men first connected in 1984 at a military base in West Germany, where Brown was running a basketball clinic. O'Neal, then 13, stood 6 feet, 9 inches tall. He approached Brown seeking advice, and Brown initially mistook the teenager for a soldier.

After learning O'Neal's age, Brown began mailing letters and drills to the young player. This correspondence continued as O'Neal developed into a top high school prospect. Brown recruited O'Neal to play for LSU, where he competed 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. In a 1999 letter to Brown, O'Neal wrote: "You are the only college coach I ever had, and the only one I ever wanted."

Brown remained a key figure in O'Neal's life through his professional career. He 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 made to Brown.

In 2015, ESPN released a documentary titled "Shaq & Dale." Directed by Hannah Storm and narrated by Tim McGraw, the film chronicled the relationship from Germany through O'Neal's NBA stardom. LSU Athletics reported that the two maintained regular contact via letters and emails for decades.

On Oct. 21, two days before Brown died, LSU announced he would receive the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in April 2027. O'Neal recorded a video tribute to honor the selection. Brown was scheduled to accept the award in Baton Rouge next spring.