Hall of Famer Larry Brown resigns from Memphis Tigers job, cites health

FILE – DeAndre Williams #12 of the Memphis Tigers walks off the floor with Assistant Coach Larry Brown after being defeated by the Gonzaga Bulldogs 82-78 during the second half in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. Abbie Parr/Getty Images/AFP

Hall of Fame member Larry Brown resigned from his role as a special adviser to the Memphis program on Friday due to ongoing health concerns.

The school said Brown’s health issues are not considered serious.

Brown, 82, was in his second season with the Tigers. He previously took medical leave shortly before the start of the season.

“We wish Coach Brown a speedy recovery,” Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said in a statement. “Having Coach Brown as part of our program over the last year-and-a-half was very impactful on our student-athletes and me as a coach, and we hope all the best for him and good health moving forward.”

Brown is the only coach to win championships at both the NBA and collegiate levels. He won the 1988 NCAA title when Danny Manning — aka “Danny and the Miracles” — carried Kansas to the crown and the 2004 NBA title with a Detroit Pistons team led by Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton.

Brown ranks eighth in NBA history with 1,098 regular-season coaching victories and made the playoffs in 18 of his 26 seasons. He lost 904 games while leading nine different teams.

He guided Kansas to two Final Fours and UCLA to one during 11 seasons as a college head coach. His final stint was at SMU from 2012-16.

Brown also has been part of two Olympic gold medal-winning teams — as a player in 1964 and an assistant coach in 2000.

Brown was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

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