Former NBA head coach Larry Brown told Sam Amick of USA Today that he isn’t interested in coaching the Lakers and stressed his desire to continue coaching at Southern Methodist University. Yesterday, we heard that the Lakers were planning to reach out to Brown at some point.
“I’ve always kept in touch with (Mitch Kupchack); I admire the (heck) out of him…(But) we’re not talking about coaching the Lakers. I’ve read some of the names. They’ve got a long list of good people to choose from, and I’m here at SMU. I want to win a national championship.”
After winning a championship with the Pistons in 2003/04 and pushing the Spurs to a Game 7 in the 2004/05 NBA Finals, Brown was never able to reach the same plateau of success during his next stops in New York and Charlotte. The dregs of a 23-59 season in 2005/06 were exacerbated by tension that boiled over between Brown and the Knicks organization that summer, ultimately leading to Brown’s bitter exit from the team after just one year. Brown later found his way to the Bobcats in 2008, and led the team to their first playoff berth in franchise history in 2009/10. Things didn’t necessarily end well there either, as Brown and his entire coaching staff parted ways with Charlotte only 28 games into the 2010/11 season.
Since being hired as SMU’s head basketball coach, Brown seems to have found his comfort zone again. Following a 15-17 record in 2012/13, the 73-year-old coach led the Mustangs to a 23-9 record in addition to an appearance in the NIT championship game.
“I’m just so thankful SMU gave me this chance…We have made such progress. We’ve got a bunch of young kids already committed for the future and I’d love to finish it out here. … I’d love to see (the Lakers) get a great coach, because I love Mitch and I love that franchise. But I’m thrilled where I am. I feel so fortunate I’ve had this chance…We’re moving forward (at SMU), so I’m OK.”