Larry Brown

The sixth head coach in Kansas basketball history, Brown maintained Kansas[apos] national prominence while leading his teams to NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his five seasons. Brown accepted the head coaching position with the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA following the 1987-88 season and is currently coaching the Detroit Pistons. Brown had a cumulative collegiate coaching record of 177-61 (.744) in seven seasons, including a five-year mark of 135-44 (.754) at Kansas.

A 1963 graduate of North Carolina, Brown was an honorable mention All-America guard under former Kansas basketball player Dean Smith. After playing on the 1964 United States gold medal-winning Olympic team, Brown went on to distinguish himself first as a player then as a coach in the American Basketball Association. He also served as a head coach in the NBA following its merger with the ABA.

While the head coach at UCLA (1979-80, 1980-81), Brown led his freshman-dominated 1979-80 team to the NCAA title game before falling to Louisville, 59-54. Brown[apos]s 1985-86 Kansas team reached the NCAA Final Four, and the 1987-88 Jayhawk squad won the national title, defeating Oklahoma 83-79. He was selected as the 1986 Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year.

To cap off his incredible career, Brown was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.