Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Sports

Larry Brown can't wait to 'practice' at SMU

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Dallas, TX – Invoking possibly the most famous rant of one of his former players, new SMU basketball coach Larry Brown said Monday at his introductory press conference that he can't wait to get to "practice."

The 71-year-old Hall of Famer agreed to take over the SMU program last week and said Monday he wanted to get back to teaching the game of basketball.

"I just think being a college coach, you're really a teacher and that's something that I love to do," Brown said Monday. "I don't love games, but I love practice. I'm talking about practice...I love practice.

"Do you guys know what I'm talking about?" Brown questioned while looking toward the players in attendance.

The practice reference dates back to 2002 when Allen Iverson, coached at the time by Brown with the Philadelphia 76ers, went on a two-minute rant about him being able to practice because of injury.

Brown coached at the collegiate level for UCLA from 1979-81 and with Kansas from 1983-88, compiling a record of 177-61. That included a national title in his final season with the Jayhawks.

At SMU, he'll take over for Matt Doherty, who was fired after six years on the job. He posted a record of 80-109 at SMU. The Mustangs, who accepted an invitation to join the Big East in all sports starting in 2013, finished 13-19 last season and had a 4-12 mark in Conference USA play.

Brown's actual first head coaching position at the collegiate level came at Davidson, but that lasted only during the summer offseason before he resigned to take a pro job with the American Basketball Association's Carolina Cougars.

After a stint with the Denver Nuggets, he went to UCLA, then left the Bruins for two seasons coaching the New Jersey Nets and also coached at the NBA level for San Antonio, the Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats. He last coached in Charlotte in 2010.

Brown has a pro career record of 1,098-904 and is the sixth-winningest coach in NBA history. Six of his nine NBA coaching jobs have lasted three seasons or fewer. He won an NBA title with Detroit in 2004 and also guided Philadelphia to the NBA Finals in 2001.

Brown also reached the 1980 NCAA Tournament title game while at UCLA. He is the only head coach in basketball history to win both an NCAA championship and NBA title.