Kent Lowe has spent decades around LSU basketball, but few people knew Dale Brown the way he did.
Lowe, LSU’s senior associate communications director for basketball, first covered Brown’s Tigers while he was a graduate student at LSU and later worked alongside him as publicity director during the final five seasons of Brown’s tenure. He was close enough to see the full arc of Brown’s run, from the glory years with Chris Jackson, Shaquille O’Neal and Ricky Blanton to the last chapter of a coaching career that stretched through the 1996-97 season.
Brown died Friday, Oct. 23, at age 90.
Speaking Tuesday night on Tiger Rag Radio, Lowe said he first heard the news from Johnny Jones after practice. Jones, who played for Brown from 1980-84 and coached under him from 1984-97, walked over and told him what he had just learned.
“We had just finished practice last Friday morning, and Johnny Jones walked over and told me he just heard that coach Brown had passed,” Lowe said.
Lowe then confirmed the news before heading with the team to Tallahassee, Florida, for the next day’s exhibition game at Florida State. Once he got there, he said, the reality of Brown’s death and the flood of memories finally started to settle in.
“When we got to Tallahassee, I was able to process it all, and at that point, a lot of the memories of the nine years with Coach and the many conversations the years after he retired,” Lowe said. “I was his de facto SID still for coach Brown after he retired. We talked a lot over the years.”
For Brown, one of the enduring obsessions was John Wooden. Lowe said the former LSU coach loved talking about the UCLA legend, admired him deeply and eventually built a friendship with him.
That connection made a recognition from the Los Angeles Athletic Club especially meaningful.
“Guys, I have to say this,” Lowe said. “One thing I am probably happiest about was the Los Angeles Athletic Club announcing the John Wooden Legends of Coaching Award for coach Brown on Tuesday of last week.
That had to mean the world to him. That’s an award named for a guy and a coach that he revered.
I know a couple of people talked to him that night, and he was so appreciative and so hnored to get that award.”
Brown’s daughter, Robyn Brown Prudhomme, will accept the award in Los Angeles next April. He is also survived by his wife, Vonnie Brown, who was married to him for 57 years.
Lowe also said working with Brown came with its share of friction, even if the relationship remained strong.
“Dale was Dale,” Lowe said. “We got along very well.
We always did. There were times when he probably went in different directions than I wanted him to.
He always kidded that he knew he was in trouble with me when I would just point my finger. He’d say, ‘Uh-oh, Kent wants to see me.'”
In Other News...
LSU May Be Weighing A Surprising Lamar Brown Role Change
Lamar Browns Instagram post has added a little intrigue to LSUs roster picture, because the freshman defensive lineman appears to be hinting at a possible move to the offensive line. Brown has mostly been used on the defensive side this season, and his playing time has been limited, which makes any potential shift worth watching as the Tigers continue sorting out where young talent might fit best.
LSU has not officially confirmed any position change, and for now Browns future remains in the realm of possibility rather than announcement. Still, a switch like this would be notable for a player whose early college role has not yet fully settled, and it gives the Tigers another personnel storyline to monitor as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Got A Stunning Title Vote Before Alabama Week
Nick Saban rarely hands out compliments lightly, which is why his latest national title pick turned heads around Baton Rouge. With LSU sitting at 6-2 and No. 15 in the rankings, the former Alabama coach pointed to the Tigers as a sleeper candidate to win it all, citing a team that has paired strong scoring with a defense that has done its part. Six of LSU's wins have come by 20 or more points, a sign that when the Tigers are rolling, they can separate from opponents in a hurry.
The timing makes the endorsement even more interesting with Alabama coming in at 6-2 and ranked No. 10 for a matchup that already had plenty riding on it. Saban did flag quarterback Sam Leavitt's turnover issues as a possible obstacle, a reminder that LSU still has questions to answer before any championship talk gets serious. Still, getting that kind of vote of confidence from Saban just before Alabama week adds another layer to a game that was already going to carry plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces An Early Recruiting Test In A Battle Fans Will Notice
The early stages of B.J. LaFells recruitment already have a familiar LSU feel to them. The son of former Tigers receiver Brandon LaFell, the 2029 prospect has picked up offers from LSU and Notre Dame, along with other programs, and the Tigers are leaning into a pitch that combines family ties with a long track record of developing NFL receivers.
For LSU, this is the kind of battle fans will notice because it reaches beyond the usual recruiting chatter and into legacy territory. Notre Dame gives him a national alternative with its own appeal, and the process is still just beginning, with coaching relationships and development opportunities likely to matter as much as any school name on the offer sheet. [Read more 🡒]