Herb Brown
Encyclopedia
Herb Brown is an American basketball
coach
. He is the former head coach of the Detroit Pistons (1976–78). Brown was named head coach of the NBA's Detroit Pistons
during the 1975-76 NBA season
, replacing Ray Scott
, who'd gone 17-25. The 39-year-old Brown, who'd been an assistant to Scott in Detroit, went 19-21 in his first season with the Pistons, who won 10 of their last 11 games of the regular season. He then guided the team into the second round of the NBA playoffs where the Pistons lost to Golden State, four games to two.
The following season, the Pistons went 44-38 under Brown, before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors
.
The Pistons fired Brown on December 15, 1977, after a 9-15 start to the 1977-78 NBA season, replacing him with the team's 32-year-old general manager, Bob Kauffman
, who went 29-29 as head coach.
The Bobcats are Brown's third team on which he has served under brother Larry. Together, they helped coach the Pistons to the NBA championship in 2004
, and led the Philadelphia 76ers
to the 2001 NBA Finals
.
Brown has also served as an assistant coach for several teams, including the Portland Trail Blazers
, Houston Rockets
, Indiana Pacers
, Phoenix Suns
, and Atlanta Hawks
. He also coached overseas, most notably in Spain in the early 1990s.
At the college level, Brown was head basketball coach at Stony Brook University (SUNY Stony Brook) from 1964–69, earning Coach of the Year honors following the 1969 season.
Brown served as head coach at C.W. Post (of Long Island University
) from 1972–74, going 21-5 and 13-12 over two seasons.
In 1978, Brown was named head coach of the Tucson Gunners, a franchise in the newly-formed Western Basketball Association (WBA). He was named WBA Coach of the Year after guiding the team to a 32-16 record and the league championship, where Tucson beat Reno (which was coached by Bill Musselman
), four games to three.
Brown was head coach of the Puerto Rico
Coquis of the Continental Basketball Association
(CBA) from 1983–85, going 28-16 and 27-21, in 1983-84 and 1984–85, respectively. He earned CBA Coach of the Year honors following the 1983-84 season. He also coached the Cincinnati Slammers of the CBA in 1985-86.
In June 1990, Brown was named head coach and vice president of basketball operations for the Baltimore BayRunners
of the International Basketball League (IBL). He was fired after going 10-20 in the team's inaugural season. The BayRunners won just seven more games after firing Brown to finish the season at 17-47.
Born in Brooklyn
, New York, Brown is a graduate of the University of Vermont
. The author of three books about basketball, he runs a Basketball Academy in the summer at the New Jersey Y Camps. In 2006, he was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. He is the former head coach of the Detroit Pistons (1976–78). Brown was named head coach of the NBA's Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
during the 1975-76 NBA season
1975-76 NBA season
The 1975–76 NBA season was the 30th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
, replacing Ray Scott
Ray Scott
Ray Scott may refer to:*Ray Scott , founder of B.A.S.S.*Ray Scott , American*Ray Scott , player and coach* W. Ray Scott , basketball player...
, who'd gone 17-25. The 39-year-old Brown, who'd been an assistant to Scott in Detroit, went 19-21 in his first season with the Pistons, who won 10 of their last 11 games of the regular season. He then guided the team into the second round of the NBA playoffs where the Pistons lost to Golden State, four games to two.
The following season, the Pistons went 44-38 under Brown, before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
The Pistons fired Brown on December 15, 1977, after a 9-15 start to the 1977-78 NBA season, replacing him with the team's 32-year-old general manager, Bob Kauffman
Bob Kauffman
Robert "Bob" Kauffman is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'8" forward/center from Guilford College, Kauffman was selected with the third pick of the 1968 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics; he was also selected in the 1968 ABA Draft by the Oakland Oaks...
, who went 29-29 as head coach.
The Bobcats are Brown's third team on which he has served under brother Larry. Together, they helped coach the Pistons to the NBA championship in 2004
2004 NBA Finals
The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage...
, and led the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
to the 2001 NBA Finals
2001 NBA Finals
The 2001 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2000-01 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Philadelphia 76ers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage in a best-of-seven format.The...
.
Brown has also served as an assistant coach for several teams, including the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
, Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
, and Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
. He also coached overseas, most notably in Spain in the early 1990s.
At the college level, Brown was head basketball coach at Stony Brook University (SUNY Stony Brook) from 1964–69, earning Coach of the Year honors following the 1969 season.
Brown served as head coach at C.W. Post (of Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
) from 1972–74, going 21-5 and 13-12 over two seasons.
In 1978, Brown was named head coach of the Tucson Gunners, a franchise in the newly-formed Western Basketball Association (WBA). He was named WBA Coach of the Year after guiding the team to a 32-16 record and the league championship, where Tucson beat Reno (which was coached by Bill Musselman
Bill Musselman
William Clifford Musselman was an American basketball coach in the NCAA, the ABA, the WBA, the CBA, and the NBA. He was a fiercely intense coach who once was quoted as saying "defeat is worse than death, because you have to live with defeat."-Early life:Musselman was the second of five children....
), four games to three.
Brown was head coach of the Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
Coquis of the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
(CBA) from 1983–85, going 28-16 and 27-21, in 1983-84 and 1984–85, respectively. He earned CBA Coach of the Year honors following the 1983-84 season. He also coached the Cincinnati Slammers of the CBA in 1985-86.
In June 1990, Brown was named head coach and vice president of basketball operations for the Baltimore BayRunners
Baltimore Bayrunners
The Baltimore Bayrunners were part of the International Basketball League . The Bayrunners were the first professional basketball team Baltimore had seen since the Bullets moved from Baltimore in 1973...
of the International Basketball League (IBL). He was fired after going 10-20 in the team's inaugural season. The BayRunners won just seven more games after firing Brown to finish the season at 17-47.
Born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, Brown is a graduate of the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
. The author of three books about basketball, he runs a Basketball Academy in the summer at the New Jersey Y Camps. In 2006, he was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
External links
- http://www.nba.com/coachfile/herb_brown/?nav=page
- ACB.com Profile