Larry Brown, head coach at SMU, is reportedly stepping down from his position as head coach, according to ESPN’s Andy Katz. The resignation took place Friday morning, and Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported that the decision was made because SMU wasn’t willing to give Brown a long-term contract.
When Katz asked Brown about his decision, he said, “I’ve got nothing else I can say right now.” He’ll be succeeded by Tim Jankovich, who’s spent time as the shot-caller for Illinois State and North Texas. In nine total seasons, Jankovich boasts a 157-122 record.
Before starting his career at SMU, Brown was spent 31 seasons coaching in the ABA and NBA and was the head coach of numerous teams: Charlotte Bobcats, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, and Carolina Cougars. The four-time Coach of the Year accumulated a career record of 1,327-1,011 and led the Pistons to a championship in 2004. As a player, the 5-9 guard spent five seasons in the ABA and was a three-time league leader in assists.
Throughout his time in the pros, however, Brown took breaks to go coach at the college level and spent 11 total seasons with UCLA, Kansas, and SMU. Out of those 11 seasons, Brown has gone to the NCAA Tournament eight times, to the Final Four twice in 1980 and 1988, and won the tournament with the Kansas Jayhawks in the 1987-88 season. He’s the only coach to win a championship in the NBA and NCAA. His career winning percentage of .707 is the highest in SMU history out of any coach who’s spent more than one season with the team, and his 94 career wins are fifth on the list, according to Sports-Reference.
When he took the Mustangs to the NCAA Tournament in 2015, it was the first time in 21 years SMU had been able to dance.
