LSU Coach: Dale Brown dies at 90 after scouting 13-year-old Shaq

Dale Brown, the LSU basketball coach who recruited a 13-year-old Shaquille O'Neal in West Germany, died on Friday, October 23, at age 90.

Brown first encountered O'Neal in 1984 while directing a basketball clinic at a military base. The teenager stood 6 feet, 9 inches tall. Brown initially assumed the boy was a soldier and asked how long he had served in the Army. Upon learning the youth was only 13, Brown identified the potential in the player.

O'Neal later described the experience in a 2015 Esquire interview. He stated that he lacked confidence in his abilities at the time. Brown began sending letters and basketball exercises to the young player. The correspondence continued as O'Neal developed into a top high school prospect. Brown eventually recruited him to LSU, where O'Neal played from 1989 to 1992.

During his time at LSU, O'Neal earned two consensus All-American honors and was named SEC Player of the Year twice. He was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. O'Neal maintained a close relationship with Brown after his departure from Baton Rouge. In a 1999 letter, O'Neal wrote, "You are the only college coach I ever had, and the only one I ever wanted."

Brown remained involved in O'Neal's professional career. He was present when O'Neal won his first NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. That year, O'Neal returned to LSU to complete his degree, a promise he had made to his family and Brown in 1992. O'Neal referred to Brown as a "father figure, leader, and a motivator."

In 2015, ESPN released the documentary "Shaq & Dale." Directed by Hannah Storm and narrated by Tim McGraw, the film chronicled the relationship from their meeting in Germany through O'Neal's professional success. LSU reported that the two men exchanged letters and emails for decades.

On October 21, LSU announced that Brown would receive the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in April 2027. O'Neal recorded a video message congratulating his former coach on the selection. Brown died two days after the announcement.