Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown stepped down from his spot as a special adviser at Memphis on Friday “due to ongoing health concerns.”
Brown first took a leave of absence from the program in October due to what they called a “minor medical issue.” While the program didn’t specify what the health issue was, the Tigers said it wasn’t serious.
“We wish Coach Brown a speedy recovery,” coach Penny Hardaway said in a statement. “Having Coach Brown as part of our program over the last year-and-a-half was very impactful on our student-athletes and me as a coach, and we hope all the best for him and good health moving forward.”
Brown, 82, spent last season with the Tigers as an assistant coach. He transitioned to a special adviser role this past offseason.
Brown last served as a head coach at SMU, where he spent four seasons before resigning in 2016. He also spent two seasons leading UCLA, with which he reached the Final Four in 1980, and five seasons with Kansas, with which he won a national title in 1988.
Brown also worked as a head coach for 31 seasons in the ABA and NBA, where he racked up 1,327 career wins. He won a title with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Brown was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Memphis is 7-2 on the season headed into Saturday’s game against No. 11 Auburn. The Tigers have won five straight under Hardaway, who is in his fifth season with the program.
