SMU Head Coach Larry Brown Steps Down Over Contract Extension Talks

Larry Brown has always been a fascinating figure. He’s known for being a great coach yet a guy who constantly gets programs in trouble and heads to the next place. He has coached at every level and is the only guy to win a title as a head coach in the NCAA and NBA.

Most recently he’s obviously been at SMU and has turned the Mustangs into a respectable program. They were competitive and were really a bullshit goaltending call away from a Sweet 16 – they were beating UAB the next game. Now, the 75 year old has stepped down as head coach at SMU.

The reasoning? He wanted a 5 year contract extension. Again, Larry Brown is 75 years old. SMU obviously didn’t want to give him five years, but rather 2-3 years, allowing him the ability to come back from sanctions and continue to coach. Oh, that’s the other part. SMU is coming off a year where they couldn’t play in the NCAA Tournament because of an academic fraud situation.

That’s Larry Brown though. Somehow people were supposed to believe Emmanuel Mudiay and Keith Frazier – Frazier is the reason of the academic fraud situation – wanted to play at SMU? Both were All-Americans that had their pick of numerous schools to play at.

Brown is one of the best coaches we’ve seen. He obviously knows the game and is extremely successful as a head coach, winning the national title in 1988 with Kansas and Danny Manning. However, he’ll often be remembered for bouncing around and the sanctions. In fact he went out as only Larry Brown could.

On a call with Andy Katz he was asked why he was stepping down. Brown’s response? “I have nothing else to say.” So here’s to you Larry, a helluva coach that always seemed to find trouble. In the meantime Tim Jankovich, who coached at Illinois State before, will take over the SMU program.