The Story of Larry Brown’s Return to the College Basketball Scene With SMU

When Larry Brown walked onto the campus of Southern Methodist University in 2012, few could have predicted the whirlwind that would follow. A Hall of Fame coach with an NBA championship ring and a national title at Kansas, Brown was far from the typical candidate for a program that had been mired in mediocrity and still recovering from one of the most severe punishments in NCAA history. His decision to return to college basketball after more than a decade away from the collegiate ranks was met with skepticism and intrigue. Yet, Brown’s tenure at SMU would become one of the most compelling, controversial, and ultimately transformative chapters in recent college basketball history.

Larry Brown’s Coaching Legacy

To understand the magnitude of Brown’s return, one must first appreciate his sprawling coaching legacy. Brown is the only coach in history to win both an NCAA national championship (Kansas, 1988) and an NBA championship (Detroit Pistons, 2004). His career includes stops at UCLA (where he took the Bruins to the 1980 NCAA title game), the New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and the New York Knicks. He also coached the U.S. national team to a gold medal at the 1964 Olympics as an assistant and later led the 2004 Olympic team to a bronze.

Brown’s coaching philosophy is rooted in discipline, defensive intensity, and unselfish ball movement. He demands that his players buy into a system where every possession matters. This approach earned him the nickname "the ultimate teacher of the game." Over the decades, he has mentored future coaches such as John Calipari, Bill Self, and Gregg Popovich, creating a coaching tree that spans generations. However, Brown’s peripatetic nature—he has never stayed at a job longer than six years—also earned him a reputation for restlessness. By 2012, after a tumultuous stint with the Charlotte Bobcats, many assumed his coaching days were over. But Brown, then 71, had one more chapter to write.

The State of SMU Basketball Before Brown

Southern Methodist University's basketball program was in dire straits when Brown arrived. The Mustangs had not made the NCAA tournament since 1993. The program was still reeling from the fallout of the infamous "death penalty" handed down by the NCAA in 1987 for widespread violations, though that punishment primarily affected the football team. Basketball had suffered from neglect, budget constraints, and a losing culture. Between 2000 and 2012, SMU had only three winning seasons. The program lacked credibility in recruiting, and the on-campus arena, Moody Coliseum, was outdated and largely empty on game nights.

The athletic department, under the leadership of athletic director Steve Orsini and later Rick Hart, saw an opportunity to revive the program by hiring a legendary figure. Brown’s name recognition alone could change the conversation around SMU basketball. In April 2012, Brown agreed to a six-year contract that made him the highest-paid coach in the American Athletic Conference, earning about $2 million per year. The move was seen as a coup for the university and a gamble for Brown.

The Return: Brown’s Decision and Appointment

Brown’s return to college basketball was driven by a desire to build something from scratch. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, he said, “I missed the competition, I missed the teaching. I saw an opportunity to help a program that had been down. It felt right.” Brown brought with him a blue-chip coaching staff, including assistants who had deep recruiting ties, such as Jerrance Howard (formerly of Kansas) and K.T. Turner. He also hired his son, L.J. Brown, as a director of operations.

The challenge was immense. SMU was in the Conference USA at the time, a league that lacked the national profile of the major conferences. Recruiting high-level talent required Brown to leverage his NBA and college connections. He immediately targeted local players from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a region rich in basketball talent but often overlooked by SMU. Brown’s pitch was simple: come to a school that was about to turn the corner, and you will be part of history.

Early Recruiting Wins

Brown wasted no time in landing impact players. He signed a pair of elite junior college transfers: Nic Moore, a point guard who had originally committed to Illinois State, and Markus Kennedy, a powerful forward. Moore would become the face of the SMU revival, earning First-Team All-American Athletic Conference honors and eventually being named the conference’s Player of the Year in 2015. Kennedy provided interior toughness and rebounding. The duo, combined with holdovers like Shawn Williams and Cannen Cunningham, formed the core of Brown’s first competitive SMU team.

The Ascent: Building a Winner

Brown’s first season (2012-13) was a modest step forward. The Mustangs finished 15-17, but there were signs of progress: close losses to top teams like Cincinnati and Memphis, and a victory over a ranked UConn team. More importantly, Brown instilled a defensive identity. SMU became one of the toughest teams to score against in the conference, ranking in the top 25 nationally in defensive efficiency by the end of the year.

The breakthrough came in the 2013-14 season. With Moore and Kennedy as juniors, and the addition of freshman Sterling Brown (no relation to Larry), the Mustangs went 27-10, won 12 straight games at one point, and captured the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship. That NIT title was the program’s first postseason championship since 1956. Brown was named the NIT Coach of the Year. The victory at Madison Square Garden signaled that SMU was back on the national radar. As ESPN noted, “Larry Brown has done in two years what many believed impossible: he’s made SMU relevant again.”

The 2014-15 Season: NCAA Tournament Return

The 2014-15 season was the pinnacle of Brown’s SMU tenure. The Mustangs were 27-7, finished second in the American Athletic Conference, and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament—their first appearance in 22 years. SMU was seeded sixth in the West Region and faced a tough UCLA team in the first round. In a thrilling game that went down to the wire, the Mustangs prevailed 67-64 behind 18 points from Nic Moore and a clutch defensive stand in the final seconds. The second round pitted them against No. 3 seed Iowa State, where SMU led by as many as 10 points in the second half but ultimately fell 73-68 in a heartbreaker. Despite the loss, the season was a resounding success. Brown had taken a program that had not won an NCAA tournament game since 1988 and brought it to the brink of the Sweet 16.

Detailed Look at the NIT Title Run

The 2014 NIT championship run deserves its own spotlight. SMU entered the tournament as a No. 1 seed after finishing 23-9 and third in the American Athletic Conference. The Mustangs steamrolled UC Irvine in the first round, then survived a scare against LSU in the quarterfinals, winning 80-67. In the semifinals at Madison Square Garden, they faced a red-hot Clemson team. Nic Moore scored a career-high 28 points, including a dagger three-pointer with 1:20 left, to secure an 84-79 victory. The final against Minnesota was a defensive masterclass: SMU held the Golden Gophers to 35 percent shooting and won 65-63 on a last-second tip-in by Markus Kennedy. The celebration on the Garden floor was a cathartic moment for a program that had endured two decades of irrelevance.

Challenges and Controversies

Brown’s tenure at SMU was not without its dark spots. The coach’s relentless drive to win sometimes clashed with NCAA rules. In September 2015, the NCAA launched an investigation into SMU’s basketball program, stemming from allegations that a former assistant, K.T. Turner, had provided impermissible benefits to a recruit (later ruled to be strong safety Emmanuel Mudiay, though the rules were misinterpreted). The university self-imposed a postseason ban for the 2015-16 season. However, the NCAA's investigation expanded, and in February 2016, the NCAA handed down severe penalties: a three-year probation, a loss of one scholarship per year, a $25,000 fine, and—most damaging—a nine-game suspension for Larry Brown himself. The NCAA also forced the dismissal of Turner and another assistant.

Brown accepted responsibility, stating, “I take full responsibility for the actions of my staff. We made mistakes, and we will learn from them.” But the damage was done. The program that had been on the rise was now saddled with a tarnished reputation. The postseason ban also meant that players like Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy would never get another chance to play in the NCAA tournament.

Health Concerns and Resignation

Beyond the NCAA issues, Brown’s health became a concern. In 2014, he had undergone hip replacement surgery. By 2016, the stress of the investigation and the physical demands of recruiting and coaching took their toll. On July 8, 2016, Brown announced his resignation as SMU’s head coach, citing a desire to spend more time with his family and address his health. “This is the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” he said at the press conference. “But it’s the right one for me and for the program.” The move came as a shock, though many had speculated that Brown might step down before the 2016-17 season. He was replaced by his assistant, Tim Jankovich, who had been hired as head coach-in-waiting a year earlier.

Legacy and Impact on College Basketball

Larry Brown’s four-year tenure at SMU left an indelible mark on the program and on college basketball as a whole. He demonstrated that an aging, legendary coach could still connect with modern recruits and succeed in the ever-changing landscape of NCAA athletics. His emphasis on defense and player development became the blueprint for the program’s continued success under Jankovich, who led SMU to two more NCAA tournament appearances in 2017 and 2019. The culture Brown built—one of accountability, toughness, and pride—persisted.

Brown also provided a cautionary tale about the pressures of winning at all costs. His willingness to push the boundaries of NCAA rules, even if inadvertently, underscored the fine line that many coaches walk. Yet, his return also reminded the basketball world of the power of experience and passion. Brown’s impact extended beyond wins and losses: he mentored young coaches like Tim Jankovich and Jerrance Howard, who went on to become head coaches themselves. And he gave a generation of SMU fans a reason to believe that their program could compete on a national stage.

The Broader Implications for College Basketball

Brown’s story is particularly relevant in an era where the transfer portal and NIL deals have transformed recruiting. He proved that a program like SMU, without the blue-blood pedigree, could still attract elite talent through relentless recruiting and a compelling vision. His approach to building a roster—mixing junior college transfers, high school standouts, and grad transfers—foreshadowed the modern roster construction that many programs now employ. For example, the 2014-15 team featured seven players who began their careers elsewhere, a model now seen at schools like North Carolina and Kentucky.

The New York Times noted at the time of his resignation, “Brown’s stay at SMU was a microcosm of his career: brilliant successes, controversial setbacks, and an enduring love for the game.” Indeed, his return to college basketball was never about personal glory. It was about the challenge of reviving a dormant program. And in that regard, he succeeded beyond most expectations.

Expanded Look at Key Players and Their Careers

Nic Moore, after his SMU career, went on to play professionally overseas but is best remembered as the engine of Brown’s best teams. Markus Kennedy, despite off-court issues, carved out a long career in the NBA G League and international ball. Sterling Brown, who arrived as a freshman in 2013, developed into an NBA second-round pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2017 and played six seasons in the league, including a stint with the Dallas Mavericks. Sterling often credited Larry Brown for teaching him the nuances of defensive positioning and shot selection. Another key player, Ben Emelogu, transferred to SMU from Virginia Tech and became a crucial sixth man in the NCAA tournament season. These players’ professional trajectories highlight Brown’s ability to develop talent even in a non-power conference setting.

Post-Brown Era at SMU: Carrying the Torch

After Brown’s departure, Tim Jankovich maintained the defensive foundation while adding his own offensive wrinkles. The Mustangs returned to the NCAA tournament in 2017 as a No. 6 seed, losing in the first round to USC, and again in 2019 as a No. 12 seed, falling to Auburn. SMU continued to recruit well, landing players like Jarrey Foster and Jimmy Whitt, who benefited from the culture Brown established. However, without Brown’s magnetism, the program eventually settled back into mid-major status. Still, the three-year run from 2014 to 2017—58 wins, an NIT title, and two NCAA appearances—represented the program’s best stretch since the 1950s. Brown’s ghost lingered in Moody Coliseum, a reminder that a single passionate coach could alter a program’s trajectory dramatically.

Impact on the Dallas-Fort Worth Basketball Community

Brown’s time at SMU also galvanized local basketball interest. Before his arrival, elite high school players from the Dallas area often left for blueblood programs like Kansas, Duke, or Texas. Brown changed that by making SMU a viable destination. Five-star recruit Emmanuel Mudiay originally committed to SMU (though he later went pro in China), and the program became a finalist for other local stars. The Mustangs sold out Moody Coliseum for several games, a feat not seen since the 1980s. High school coaches in Dallas spoke of a new energy: “Larry Brown gave kids a reason to stay home,” said John Wright, a longtime AAU coach in the region. The Dallas Morning News captured this sentiment in a retrospective piece, noting that Brown “reconnected SMU to the city of Dallas.”

Conclusion: An Enduring Story of Resilience

Larry Brown’s return to the college basketball scene with SMU is more than a chapter in a Hall of Fame career. It is a story about the enduring power of resilience. At an age when most coaches are content in retirement, Brown chose to dive back into the grueling world of recruiting, practice planning, and media obligations. He weathered NCAA scrutiny, health issues, and the inevitable second-guessing that comes with high-profile hires. And through it all, he never lost his passion for teaching the game.

When SMU fans look back at the Brown era, they remember not only the NIT title and the NCAA tournament win, but also the renewed energy that filled Moody Coliseum. They remember a coach who believed in a program that others had written off. As Brown himself once said, “It’s never too late to start over. It’s never too late to have a second act. The game always gives you another chance.” And for Larry Brown, that second act at SMU was one for the ages.