Howie Braun

{{Short description|American basketball player and coach}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{more citations needed|date=September 2014}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Howie Braun

| image = Fighting Illini Assistant Coach Howie Braun.png

| caption = Howie Braun

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1912|11|13}}

| birth_place = Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1996|1|9|1912|11|13}}

| death_place = Urbana, Illinois, U.S.

| player_years1 = 1933–1936

| player_team1 = Illinois

| player_positions =

| coach_years1 = 1937–1967

| coach_team1 = Illinois (assistant)

| overall_record =

}}

Howard J. Braun (November 13, 1912 – January 9, 1996) was an American college basketball assistant coach for the University of Illinois from 1937 to 1967.{{cite web |url=http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-baskbl/archive/MBKBHist-All-TimeRosters--1950-74.html#1958 |title=ILLINOIS BASKETBALL HISTORY |date=June 2009|website=www.fightingillini.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422211033/https://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-baskbl/archive/MBKBHist-All-TimeRosters--1950-74.html |archive-date=2010-04-22}} Braun graduated from the University of Illinois in 1936. He won six varsity letters in tennis and basketball and was a member of the "I" Men's Club.{{Cite web |url=http://news.illinois.edu/ii/96/01-18-96/in.death.html |title=Inside Illinois 1996/01-18-96 |access-date=2013-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229115439/https://news.illinois.edu/ii/96/01-18-96/in.death.html |archive-date=2015-12-29 |url-status=dead }}

For three decades Howie Braun was responsible for all recruiting of high school basketball player for the University of Illinois. Braun worked and played for three legendary Fighting Illini head coaches. From 1933–1936, Braun played for Craig Ruby, winning a Big Ten Conference championship in 1935. He coached with Doug Mills from 1937 to 1947, winning conference championships in 1937, 1942 and 1943, and Harry Combes from 1948–1967, winning conference championships in 1949, 1951, 1952 and 1963.http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/05-06_mbk_guide05.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411101749/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/05-06_mbk_guide05.pdf |date=2016-04-11 }} The Records Book 2006-07 ILLINOIS MEN’S BASKETBALL

While recruiting, head coaches generally didn't become involved until an athlete made it to campus for an official visit. Since there was no AAU summer basketball as exists today, most major college coaches had the summers to themselves. While on the recruiting circuit, Braun was known for operating alone. He was known for being an intense, strong-willed man with a good heart who many former athletes respected.A Century of Orange and Blue: Celebrating 100 Years of Fighting Illini Basketball By Loren Tate, Jared Gelfond pg.272 {{ISBN|1-58261-793-7}}

After a notorious slush fund scandal in 1967,{{cite web|url=https://phoenix.illiniclub.org/article.html?aid=294|title=For those who came in late . . . Harry Combes (Part 3)|website=phoenix.illiniclub.org}} Braun was banned from coaching in the Big Ten and began working in public relations at the Commercial Bank of Champaign.{{Cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1079593/index.htm |title=Beset on the one hand by its own admissions of guilt and - 03.06.67 - SI Vault |access-date=2013-01-12 |archive-date=2013-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130108062434/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1079593/index.htm |url-status=dead }} He also was president of Worden-Martin Leasing from 1967 to 1977.{{Cite web|url=http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/1996/01/13/110958-funeral-notices/|title = Funeral Notices – Tucson Citizen Morgue, Part 2 (1993–2009)}} Additionally, he was the pro golf manager at Lincolnshire Fields golf course in Champaign.