Dale Brown, the coach who recruited Shaquille O'Neal from West Germany, dies at 90

Longtime LSU basketball coach Dale Brown died on Friday, Oct. 23, at age 90. His death marks the end of an era for the program that produced one of the most dominant players in the history of the NBA.

Brown’s connection to Shaquille O'Neal began in 1984 at a military base in West Germany. At the time, O'Neal was 13 years old and already stood 6 feet, 9 inches tall. He approached Brown during a clinic to seek advice on improving his game. Brown initially assumed the teenager was a soldier, asking how long he had served in the Army before learning his true age.

Following that first meeting, Brown began sending O'Neal letters and basketball exercises. The two maintained this correspondence as O'Neal developed into a top high school prospect. Brown eventually recruited O'Neal to LSU, where he played from 1989 to 1992. During those three seasons, O'Neal earned two consensus All-American honors and two SEC Player of the Year awards. He entered the 1992 NBA draft as the No. 1 overall pick.

The relationship between coach and player extended well beyond the college court. In a 1999 letter celebrating Brown’s 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 was present when O'Neal won his first NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. That same year, O'Neal returned to Baton Rouge to complete his degree, fulfilling a promise he had made to his family and his coach before leaving school in 1992.

In a 2015 interview with Esquire, O'Neal described Brown as a "father figure, leader, and a motivator" away from the court. The same year, ESPN released the documentary "Shaq & Dale," which followed O'Neal back to visit his former mentor. The film, directed by Hannah Storm and narrated by Tim McGraw, traced their bond from West Germany through O'Neal's professional success. LSU Athletics noted that the two remained in regular contact through letters and emails for decades.

On Oct. 21, just two days before Brown’s death, LSU announced his selection as the 2027 recipient of the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. O'Neal recorded a video message to congratulate Brown on the honor. Brown had been scheduled to accept the award in April 2027.