Baton Rouge to honor former LSU coach Dale Brown at two public services

Family members, friends, former players and LSU supporters will gather in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, Nov. 11, for two public services honoring longtime basketball coach Dale Brown. Brown, who led the university’s men’s basketball team for 25 seasons, died Oct. 23 at the age of 90.

The first service will be a funeral Mass at St. George Catholic Church, 7880 St. George Drive, beginning at 10 a.m. LSU and Brown’s family will then host a celebration of life at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on the university’s campus at 6 p.m. Admission to both services is free, and both are open to the public.

Doors for the evening gathering will open at 5:30 p.m. According to LSU Athletics, members of the public will have general admission seating in the arena’s lower and middle bowls. Those attending should use the entrances at the top of the exterior ramps. Seats on the floor will be reserved for Brown’s former players and guests of his family.

LSU recommends that the public park in lots 401 and 404 or use other available parking areas around the arena. Concessions will be closed, but sealed water bottles will be permitted. People unable to attend can watch the celebration on SEC Network+ or through the LSU Sports YouTube and Facebook pages.

Brown coached the Tigers from 1972 through 1997, building the program into a national contender. Across those seasons, LSU earned 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, advanced to the Final Four twice and captured four Southeastern Conference championships.

His coaching career ended with 448 on-court victories. Among the players he helped develop were Shaquille O’Neal and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, two of the most recognizable names associated with LSU basketball.

Brown’s honors included induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame. In January 2022, LSU named the basketball court inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in his honor.

After his death, Brown’s family described an influence that reached beyond his accomplishments in basketball. “Dale Brown always put others first. He always led with the heart,” the family said in a statement.

The family has requested contributions to the Dale Brown Scholarship Fund in place of flowers. The fund will support academic scholarships for LSU students and student-athletes.