Dale Brown

Humanitarian Award
1997 HONOREE

Dale Brown’s name may be synonymous with college basketball – for 25 years he served as head coach (the winningest ever) for the Louisiana State University Tigers – but it’s his irrepressible passion for helping others, especially the underdog, that the man is really all about.

Brown was born October 31, 1935 in Minot, graduating from St. Leo’s High School and Minot State University. His early coaching career included positions at Minot’s Bishop Ryan High School, Utah State University, and Washington State University. He signed on with LSU in 1972 and quickly turned a campus obsessed with football into one that waited eagerly for basketball season to begin.

Brown’s humanitarian nature is revealed through his giving of time and money – but just as often, it’s the random acts of kindness he commits that serve as a window to the deep compassion he feels toward others. His deeds have often changed lives. It has been said of Brown, “He collects stray people like some shelters collect animals.”

A zest for living also drives Brown, most evident in his appetite for travel and adventure. From scaling the Matterhorn to searching for Bigfoot, no challenge seems too great.

Recently retired from coaching, Brown is a television basketball analyst, author, and motivational speaker. He and his wife, Vonnie, have one daughter and live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.