LSU Coach Dale Brown: Mentor to Shaquille O'Neal dies at 90

Dale Brown, the longtime LSU basketball coach who recruited a 13-year-old Shaquille O'Neal in Germany, died on Friday, October 23, at the age of 90. His death marks the end of a decades-long mentorship that helped shape one of the most dominant athletes in modern sports history.

The pair first connected in 1984 at a military base in West Germany. O'Neal, who was living on the base and already stood 6 feet, 9 inches, approached Brown during a basketball clinic for advice. Brown initially mistook the teenager for a soldier. When O'Neal revealed his age, Brown recognized his potential and began mailing him letters and drills. This correspondence continued as O'Neal developed into a top high school prospect, eventually leading Brown to recruit him for LSU.

O'Neal played for the Tigers from 1989 to 1992. During his tenure, he earned two consensus All-American selections and two SEC Player of the Year awards. He was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. The relationship between player and coach persisted well into the professional era. In a 1999 letter regarding 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 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 college degree, fulfilling a promise made to his family and Brown. In a 2015 interview with Esquire, O'Neal described Brown as a father figure, leader, and motivator. The two were featured in the 2015 documentary "Shaq & Dale," which traced their history from Germany to O'Neal's NBA success.

On October 21, two days before Brown's death, LSU announced that he would receive the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in April 2027. O'Neal recorded a video message to congratulate his former coach on the selection. According to LSU, the two maintained regular contact through letters and emails for decades until Brown's passing.