LSU coach who recruited 6-foot-9 Shaq in Germany dies at 90

Dale Brown, the LSU basketball coach who identified a 13-year-old Shaquille O'Neal in West Germany, died Friday at age 90. His death marks the end of a relationship that defined a generation of college basketball. Brown had just learned two days earlier that he would receive the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in 2027.

The connection began in 1984 at a military base in West Germany, where Brown was running a clinic. O'Neal, who was already 6 feet 9 inches tall, approached the coach for advice. Brown initially assumed the teenager was a soldier and asked about his service record. When O'Neal revealed his age, Brown began sending him letters and specific basketball exercises.

O'Neal stated in a 2015 Esquire interview that he lacked confidence in his skills before meeting Brown. The correspondence continued as O'Neal became a top high school prospect. Brown eventually recruited him to LSU, where he 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.

O'Neal was selected with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. The bond between the two persisted into the pros. In a 1999 letter to LSU Athletics, O'Neal wrote that Brown was the only college coach he ever had and the only one he ever wanted. Brown was present when O'Neal won his first championship 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 and his family. In the Esquire interview, O'Neal described Brown as a father figure, leader, and motivator. ESPN released a documentary titled Shaq & Dale in 2015, directed by Hannah Storm and narrated by Tim McGraw. The film traced their relationship from Germany through O'Neal's NBA career.

LSU announced on October 21 that Brown would receive the Wooden Award in April 2027. O'Neal recorded a video message to congratulate him. According to LSU, the two maintained regular contact through letters and emails for decades. Brown died on October 23, two days after the award news was made public.