Hubie Brown

{{Short description|American basketball coach and sportscaster (born 1933)}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Hubie Brown

| image = HubieBrown1981.jpg

| caption = Brown in 1981

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 160

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1933|9|25|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Hazleton, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = St. Mary (Elizabeth, New Jersey)

| college = Niagara (1951–1955)

| draft_year = 1955

| career_start = 1958

| career_end = 1959

| coach_start = 1955–1987, 2002

| coach_end = 2004

| years1 = 1958–1959

| team1 = Rochester Colonels

| cyears1 = 1955–1956

| cteam1 = St. Mary Academy

| cyears2 = 196?–196?

| cteam2 = Cranford HS

| cyears3 = 1965-1967

| cteam3 = Fair Lawn HS

| cyears4 = 1967-1968

| cteam4 = William & Mary (assistant)

| cyears5 = 1968–1972

| cteam5 = Duke (assistant)

| cyears6 = {{nbay|1972|start}}–{{nbay|1973|end}}

| cteam6 = Milwaukee Bucks (assistant)

| cyears7 = 1974–1976

| cteam7 = Kentucky Colonels

| cyears8 = {{nbay|1976|start}}–{{nbay|1980|end}}

| cteam8 = Atlanta Hawks

| cyears9 = {{nbay|1982|start}}–{{nbay|1986|end}}

| cteam9 = New York Knicks

| cyears10 = {{nbay|2002|start}}–{{nbay|2004|start}}

| cteam10 = Memphis Grizzlies

| highlights = * ABA champion (1975)

2× NBA Coach of the Year ({{nbay|1977|end}}, {{nbay|2003|end}})
Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)

| cstats_league1 = ABA & NBA

| cwin1 = 528

| closs1 = 559

| CBBASKHOF_year = 2006

| HOF = hubert-hubie-brown

}}

Hubert Jude Brown (born September 25, 1933){{cite web |title=Hubert "Hubie" Brown |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/hubie-brown/ |website=hoophall.com |publisher=NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME |access-date=27 August 2021}} is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors separated by 26 years.{{cite web |title=New York's Tom Thibodeau wins 2020–21 NBA Coach of the Year award |url=https://www.nba.com/news/new-yorks-tom-thibodeau-wins-2020-21-nba-coach-of-the-year-award |website=nba.com |publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC. |access-date=27 August 2021}} Brown was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.

Following his retirement from coaching, Brown worked as a television analyst for CBS, TNT, ESPN and ABC. Brown called his final game on February 9, 2025.

Early life

Brown was born on September 25, 1933, in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Elizabeth, New Jersey, when he was three years old and grew up there, living in a small apartment building without a telephone.{{cite web|url=http://thestacks.deadspin.com/its-okay-if-youre-a-machine-inside-hubie-browns-brut-1688921804|title="It's Okay If You're A Machine": Inside Hubie Brown's Brutal Philosophy|first=Steve|last=Oney|website=deadspin.com|date=2 March 2015 |access-date=23 May 2017}} Brown, an only child, has said that his father, Charlie, who worked at the shipyards, was a "demanding man."

He graduated from St. Mary of the Assumption High School in 1951. While he was in high school, St. Mary won state championships in football, basketball and baseball.{{cite web|url=http://newsok.com/collected-wisdom-hubie-brown-nba-broadcaster-and-former-coach/article/5411589|title=Collected Wisdom: Hubie Brown, NBA broadcaster and former coach|date=18 April 2015|website=newsok.com|access-date=23 May 2017}}

College career

Brown played college basketball and baseball at Niagara University, graduating in 1955 with a degree in education. While at Niagara, Brown was a teammate (and roommate) of former Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden, as well as Larry Costello and Charlie Hoxie, who would go on to star for the Harlem Globetrotters.

Professional career

=Rochester Colonels (1958–1959)=

After leaving Niagara, Brown joined the U.S. Army where he joined the Army's basketball team.{{cite web |last1=Newman |first1=Bruce |title=The Gospel According To Hubie |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1983/10/31/626572/the-gospel-according-to-hubie |website=SI.com |publisher=Sports Illustrated |date=October 31, 1983}} After being honorably discharged in 1958, Brown briefly played for the Rochester Colonels of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (the forerunner to the Continental Basketball Association) before they folded after just eight games. He averaged 13.8 points per game in his brief stint as a pro and was an excellent defender as a player.

Brown also returned to Niagara to earn a master's degree in education as he looked to pursue a coaching career.

Coaching career

=St. Mary Academy (1955–1956)=

Brown's defensive mentality would carry on into his coaching career, which began in 1955 at St. Mary Academy in Little Falls,{{cite news |last1=Bracht |first1=Mel |title=Collected Wisdom: Hubie Brown, NBA broadcaster and former coach |url=https://oklahoman.com/article/5411589/collected-wisdom-hubie-brown-nba-broadcaster-and-former-coach |access-date=28 February 2019 |work=The Oklahoman |date=April 8, 2015}} New York where he coached both basketball and baseball.

=Cranford High School (1960s)=

Brown coached at Cranford High School in Cranford, New Jersey in the 1960s.{{cite web |last1=Higgins |first1=Jim |title=Hall door closed for a legend |url=https://www.timesargus.com/hall-door-closed-for-a-legend/article_64ba7bee-f7a0-5481-9701-665cc7ecb7d2.html |website=timesargus.com |date=25 August 2015 |publisher=Brunswick Publishing, LLC |access-date=27 August 2021}}{{Cite book |last=Cranford High School Senior Class |title=Golden C |publisher=Senior Class, Cranford High School, Cranford, NJ |year=1960 |pages=10, 98}}{{Cite book |last=Senior Class, Cranford High School, Cranford, NJ |title=GoldenC |publisher=Senior Class, Cranford High School, Cranford, NJ |year=1958 |location=Cranford, NJ |pages=4, 37}}

=Fair Lawn High School (196?–1967)=

Brown coached at Fair Lawn High School in Fair Lawn, New Jersey until 1967.{{cite web |last1=Winderman |first1=Ira |title=HUBIE BROWN: THE CLONE PRINCE OF NBA COACHES |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1989-11-02-8902070825-story.html |website=sun-sentinel.com |date=2 November 1989 |publisher=Sun Sentinel |access-date=27 August 2021}} He was replaced in that role before the start of the 1967 season by Bob Gottlieb.{{cite news |last1=Veleber |first1=Don |title=Gridders Have High Values |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/ridgewood-herald-news-gridders-have-high/142839988/ |access-date=8 March 2024 |work=Ridgewood Herald-News |date=9 November 1967 |pages=33}}

=William & Mary (1967–1968)=

Brown became an assistant coach for one season at the College of William & Mary from 1967 to 1968.{{cite news |last1=Vivlamore |first1=Chris |title=Former Hawks coach Brown recipient of Daly Lifetime Achievement Award |url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/basketball/former-hawks-coach-brown-recipient-daly-lifetime-achievement-award/zVl4I1U5SfYLsvlZMX0YjO/ |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |publisher=Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=27 August 2021}}

=Duke (1968–1972)=

The following season, Brown joined Duke University as an assistant coach.{{cite web |last1=King |first1=JD |title=Former Duke Assistant Hubie Brown Honored |url=https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/2017/6/6/15744702/former-duke-assistant-hubie-brown-honored |website=dukebasketballreport.com |date=6 June 2017 |publisher=Vox Media, LLC. |access-date=27 August 2021}} Brown coached the Duke Blue Devils until 1972.{{cite web |title=Longtime friends Vitale, Brown to call first game together |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2019/02/04/longtime-friends-vitale-brown-to-call-first-game-together/39005489/ |website=USAToday.com |publisher=Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. |access-date=27 August 2021}}

=Milwaukee Bucks (1972–1974)=

Brown joined the NBA as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972 under Larry Costello.{{cite news |title=Brown Named Bucks' Aide |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/05/13/archives/brown-named-bucks-aide.html |website=The New York Times |date=13 May 1972 |access-date=27 August 2021}} Milwaukee made the NBA Finals in 1974 with future Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, but fell in seven games to the Boston Celtics, who were led by their own superstars: Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Jo Jo White and future Bucks coach Don Nelson.{{cite web |title=1974 NBA Finals Celtics vs. Bucks |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1974-nba-finals-celtics-vs-bucks.html |website=basketball-reference.com |publisher=Sports-Reference, LLC. |access-date=27 August 2021}}

=Kentucky Colonels (1974–1976)=

After two seasons in the NBA, Brown was given his first professional head coaching opportunity with the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association. Brown led the Colonels to the 1975 ABA Championship. Brown continued as the Colonels' coach until the ABA-NBA merger in 1976 when the Colonels franchise folded, one of two ABA teams that did not join the NBA (the Spirits of St. Louis being the other).{{cite web |last1=Story |first1=Mark |title=On its 45th anniversary, Dan Issel relives 'the highlight of my basketball career' |url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mark-story/article242875996.html |website=Kentucky.com |publisher=Lexington Herald Ledger |access-date=27 August 2021}}

=Atlanta Hawks (1976–1981)=

Brown then rejoined the NBA as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, going 31–51 in his first season with the Hawks. But by the 1977–78 season, the Hawks had rebounded into a .500 team, finishing 41–41 and earning Coach of the Year honors for Brown. Two years later, in 1979–80, they won only their second division title since moving to Atlanta. However, after they tumbled to a 31-win season in 1980–81, Brown was fired with just three games remaining in the season.{{cite web |title=Members of the Atlanta Hawks said Thursday they were... |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/03/27/Members-of-the-Atlanta-Hawks-said-Thursday-they-were/2494354517200/ |website=UPI.com |publisher=UPI Archives |date=March 27, 1981}}

=New York Knicks (1982–1987)=

Brown joined the New York Knicks in 1982, succeeding long-time coach Red Holzman. He stayed with the Knicks until he was fired in 1986 after starting the season 4–12. After reaching the playoffs in each of Brown's first two seasons, the Knicks plummeted to 24–58 in 1984–85 and 23–59 in 1985–86.{{cite web |title=Hubie Brown |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/brownhu99c.html |website=basketball-reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC. |access-date=27 August 2021}} But there were circumstances that were far beyond Brown's control that hastened the downfall. Star forward Bernard King suffered a devastating knee injury in March 1985 in a game against the Kansas City Kings,{{cite web |last1=Zillgitt |first1=Jeff |title=Bernard King: Knee injury defined Hall of Fame career |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2013/09/05/bernard-king-basketball-hall-of-fame-new-york-knicks-washington-bullets/2763185/ |website=USAToday.com |publisher=Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. |access-date=27 August 2021}} not fully recovering for two seasons, while Patrick Ewing, the top overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft, missed 32 games in an injury-plagued rookie season. Brown left the Knicks at the beginning of the 1986–87 season, succeeded by Bob Hill.{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Roy S. |title=KNICKS, 4–12 AND GOING NOWHERE, DISMISS BROWN |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/02/sports/knicks-4-12-and-going-nowhere-dismiss-brown.html |work=The New York Times |date=December 2, 1986}}

=Memphis Grizzlies (2002–2004)=

Sixteen years removed from his previous NBA coaching job, Brown was again tapped to be a head coach in the NBA 2002–03 season by Jerry West of the Memphis Grizzlies, who fired coach Sidney Lowe after an 0–8 start. The Grizzlies' choice of Brown was quite controversial at the time; Hubie Brown was the oldest coach in the NBA at the age of 69.{{cite news|last1=Williams|first1=Lena|title=PRO BASKETBALL; Grizzlies Go Back to School: Hubie Brown Named Coach|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/13/sports/pro-basketball-grizzlies-go-back-to-school-hubie-brown-named-coach.html|access-date=1 December 2014|work=The New York Times|date=13 November 2002}}

Brown finished the season with a 28–46 record with the team, at the time the team's record for wins. However, the team underwent a complete turnaround for the 2003–04 season, finishing 50–32 and making the playoffs for the first time in team history. Brown was again named the NBA's Coach of the Year.

However, by the 2004–05 season, there were again concerns about Brown's health and age. Brown was given medical clearance to start the season, but was forced to delegate much work to his assistant coaches, including his son, Brendan Brown. This led to an incident between Brendan Brown and Jason Williams when Williams snapped at Brown during the fourth quarter of a game early on in the season.{{cite web |title=Brown cites medical issues for retiring |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=1932324 |website=ESPN.com |date = 26 November 2004|publisher=ESPN, Inc. |access-date=27 August 2021}} Williams eventually apologized, but the Grizzlies were beginning to struggle during the season, starting 5–7.

Brown then unexpectedly resigned from the Grizzlies on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2004. In a statement, he cited "unexpected health-related issues... [that were] absolutely nonexistent at the beginning of the season." Details of the specific "health-related issues" were not announced. Shortly afterward Mike Fratello was announced as the new Grizzlies coach, marking the second time in his career that he had succeeded Brown in an NBA head coaching position.{{cite news|title=Brown retires; Fratello reportedly will coach Grizzlies|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/grizzlies/2004-11-25-brown-retires_x.htm|access-date=1 December 2014|publisher=USA Today|date=25 November 2004}}

Soon after Brown's unexpected departure, it was reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis The Commercial Appeal that a combination of negative attitudes among James Posey, Jason Williams, and Bonzi Wells led to his leaving. Brown coached his team with a 10-man rotation, which meant that players got smaller amounts of playing time.{{cite web |title=Williams, Posey, Wells: Banned from Memphis |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/461/williams-posey-wells-banned-from-memphis |website=ESPN.com |date=8 August 2005 |publisher=ESPN, Inc. |access-date=27 August 2021}}

Broadcasting career

Brown began broadcasting after being fired by the Hawks, working for USA Network's coverage of the NBA, including playoff games as well as CBS before being hired by the Knicks.{{cite web |title=Hubie Brown |url=https://www.si.com/nba/2012/05/22/22-0hubie-brown |website=si.com |date=22 May 2012 |publisher=ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED |access-date=27 August 2021}} During the 1985 NBA playoffs, Brown lent his services to CBS once again while still coaching the Knicks, who were not in the playoffs, teaming up with Brent Musburger.{{cite news |last1=Eskenazi |first1=Gerald |title=TV SPORTS; BROWN: A COMMENTATOR WITH 'OPTIONS' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/23/sports/tv-sports-brown-a-commentator-woth-options.html |website=The New York Times |date=23 April 1985 |access-date=27 August 2021}} Following his dismissal from the Knicks, CBS hired Brown full-time as a broadcaster in December 1986,{{cite news |last1=Deitsch |first1=Richard |title=Media Circus: An NBA Broadcasting Guide, and how Hubie Brown keeps going strong at 85 |url=https://theathletic.com/604627/2018/10/22/media-circus-an-nba-broadcasting-guide-hubie-brown-on-what-the-audience-wants/ |website=TheAthletic.com |publisher=The Athletic |access-date=27 August 2021}} and served alongside Verne Lundquist as the third team during select regular season and playoff games, promoted to the second team the next season. When asked in 1988 how long he would remain involved with the game of basketball, Brown responded "I will stay involved in some capacity until the day Verne Lundquist dies." In 1988, CBS named Brown to replace Billy Cunningham as its lead analyst alongside play-by-play man Dick Stockton. Brown remained with CBS until the end of their NBA coverage following the 1990 NBA Finals, then worked on the local broadcasts for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons before joining TNT in the early 1990s. Brown continued anchoring TNT's basketball coverage through the 2001–02 season, in which he was paired with announcers such as Bob Neal, Ron Thulin, Pete Van Wieren, and his old CBS partners Verne Lundquist and Dick Stockton. Along with TNT, Brown had begun work calling San Antonio Spurs games for the 2002-03 season when he was contacted by Memphis to take the job coaching the Grizzlies, necessitating him having to leave both positions with TNT and the Spurs.https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2002/11/13/Sports-Media/Hubie-Browns-Move-To-Grizzlies-Ends-13-Year-Run-At-Turner/

Shortly after his departure from the Grizzlies, Brown signed with ABC as its top NBA analyst. Brown worked with Al Michaels and Mike Breen on some regular-season and playoff games, including the 2005 NBA Finals and 2006 NBA Finals, before he was replaced as lead analyst by Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. Brown has later called games with Mike Tirico until 2016, when Tirico moved to NBC Sports. His later broadcast partners included Mark Jones, Dave Pasch and Ryan Ruocco. Brown called his final game, between the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks on ABC, on February 9, 2025, accompanied by Breen.{{cite web|last=Rajan|first=Ronce|url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2024/12/legendary-hubie-brown-to-call-final-nba-game-february-9-on-abc/|title=Legendary Hubie Brown to Call Final NBA Game February 9 on ABC|website=ESPN Press Room |date=December 17, 2024|access-date=December 17, 2024}}

Brown was nominated for a Sports Emmy in 1994 and 1999.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/coachfile/hubie_brown/?nav=page|title=NBA.com: Hubie Brown Coach Info|website=www.nba.com|access-date=May 23, 2017}}

Halls of Fame

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2005 as a contributor).{{cite web |title=The Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame: Hubie Brown |url=http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/hubie-brown/ |website=hoophall.com |access-date=12 August 2019}}
College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2006)
National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame (class of 2022 as a broadcaster){{cite web | title=Brown, Kirkpatrick, MacMullan, Scott Voted Into NSMA Hall of Fame | website=National Sports Media Association | date=2022-01-18 | url=https://nationalsportsmedia.org/news/brown-kirkpatrick-macmullan-scott-voted-into-nsma-hall-of-fame | access-date=2025-01-25}}

Personal life

Brown and his late wife of 54 years, Claire, have three daughters – Molly, Virginia, and Julie - and a son, Brendan, an NBA scout and assistant coach who then worked for the New York Knicks as a radio analyst.{{cite web |title=Memphis Grizzlies Basketball Operations |website=NBA.com |url=http://www.nba.com/media/grizzlies/media_guide-0405-basketball_operations.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628195549/http://www.nba.com/media/grizzlies/media_guide-0405-basketball_operations.pdf |archive-date=June 28, 2011}} Claire Brown died on June 7, 2024, at the age of 87. His son Brendan died November 3, 2024, at the age of 54 due to health complications.{{cite web | last=Magliocchetti | first=Geoff | title=Former Knicks Broadcaster Dies at 54 | website=New York Knicks On SI | date=November 6, 2024 | url=https://www.si.com/nba/knicks/news/former-new-york-knicks-broadcaster-brendan-brown-dies-at-54 | access-date=November 6, 2024}}

Head coaching record

=ABA and NBA=

|- ! style="background:#FDE910;"

| align="left" |Kentucky

| align="left" |{{abay|1974}}

|84||58||26||.690|| align="center" |1st in Eastern||15||12||3||.800

| align="center" |Won ABA Finals

| align="left" |Kentucky

| align="left" |{{abay|1975}}

|84||46||38||.548|| align="center" |4th in ABA||10||5||5||.500

| align="center" |Lost in Semifinals

| align="left" |Atlanta

| align="left" |{{nbay|1976}}

|82||31||51||.378|| align="center" |6th in Central||—||—||—||—

| align="center" |Missed Playoffs

| align="left" |Atlanta

| align="left" |{{nbay|1977}}

|82||41||41||.500|| align="center" |4th in Central||2||0||2||.000

| align="center" |Lost in First Round

| align="left" |Atlanta

| align="left" |{{nbay|1978}}

|82||46||36||.561|| align="center" |3rd in Central||9||5||4||.556

| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals

| align="left" |Atlanta

| align="left" |{{nbay|1979}}

|82||50||32||.610|| align="center" |1st in Central||5||1||4||.200

| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals

| align="left" |Atlanta

| align="left" |{{nbay|1980}}

|79||31||48||.392|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—

| align="center" |—

| align="left" |New York

| align="left" |{{nbay|1982}}

|82||44||38||.537|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||6||2||4||.333

| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals

| align="left" |New York

| align="left" |{{nbay|1983}}

|82||47||35||.573|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||12||6||6||.500

| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals

| align="left" |New York

| align="left" |{{nbay|1984}}

|82||24||58||.293|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—

| align="center" |Missed Playoffs

| align="left" |New York

| align="left" |{{nbay|1985}}

|82||23||59||.280|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—

| align="center" |Missed Playoffs

| align="left" |New York

| align="left" |{{nbay|1986}}

|16||4||12||.250|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—

| align="center" |—

| align="left" |Memphis

| align="left" |{{nbay|2002}}

|74||28||46||.378|| align="center" |6th in Midwest||—||—||—||—

| align="center" |Missed Playoffs

| align="left" |Memphis

| align="left" |{{nbay|2003}}

|82||50||32||.610|| align="center" |4th in Midwest||4||0||4||.000

| align="center" |Lost in First Round

| align="left" |Memphis

| align="left" |{{nbay|2004}}

|12||5||7||.417|| align="center" |(resigned)||—||—||—||—

| align="center" |—

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Career

| ||1087||528||559||.486|| ||63||31||32||.492

References

External links

{{Basketballhof|hubert-hubie-brown|Hubie Brown}}
[https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/brownhu99c.html Basketball-Reference.com: Coaching Record – Hubie Brown]
[https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/com.html NBA Coaches of the Month]

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