Dale Brown, LSU coach who mailed drills to teen Shaq, dies at 90

Dale Brown, a longtime Louisiana State University basketball coach, died on Friday, Oct. 23, at age 90. Brown is best known for identifying a young Shaquille O'Neal during a clinic in West Germany and guiding him to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft.

The pair first met in 1984 at a military base where Brown was instructing players. O'Neal was 13 years old and already stood 6 feet, 9 inches. Brown initially mistook the teenager for a soldier and asked how long he had served in the Army. After learning the boy's age, Brown recognized his potential and began mailing him letters containing basketball exercises.

That correspondence continued until O'Neal became one of the nation's top high school prospects. Brown recruited him to LSU, where O'Neal played from 1989 to 1992. During those three seasons, he earned two consensus All-American honors and two SEC Player of the Year awards. O'Neal entered the NBA as the top selection in 1992.

The relationship extended beyond college. In a 1999 letter released by LSU Athletics, O'Neal noted that Brown was the only college coach he ever had and the only one he ever wanted. Brown attended O'Neal's first NBA championship celebration with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. That same year, O'Neal returned to Baton Rouge to complete his degree, fulfilling a promise made to his family and his coach.

O'Neal described Brown as a father figure, leader, and motivator in a 2015 interview with Esquire. That year, ESPN released the documentary "Shaq & Dale," which tracked their history from the German clinic through O'Neal's professional career. The film was directed by Hannah Storm and narrated by Tim McGraw. LSU stated that the two maintained regular contact through mail and email for decades.

Brown's passing occurred shortly after a professional milestone. On Oct. 21, 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 selection. The award ceremony is scheduled for April 2027.