CHICAGO (CBS) – Former Proviso East and Illini basketball star Dee Brown was employed to be the following males’s basketball head coach at Roosevelt College in Chicago.
Brown’s is a reputation synonymous with Chicago basketball. He was an All-American on the College of Illinois the place he lead the lads’s basketball crew to the NCAA Championship sport in 2005.
After 5 years as a training assistant on the College of Illinois at Chicago, Brown is taking over his first head teaching job at Roosevelt, which is positioned within the loop.
CBS 2’s Matt Zahn caught up with Brown on the NAIA college.
CBS
“It is Chicago,” Brown stated. “It is an excellent alternative to steer your individual program, particularly within the mecca of basketball.”
Brown in fact is aware of a factor or two in regards to the mecca of basketball. He was Mr. Basketball at Proviso East earlier than happening to star for the Illini.
“Individuals have seen me develop up right here, in order that they know every thing I am speaking about proper now’s 100,” he stated.
And what Brown is speaking about is constructing a program that will likely be as a lot about what his gamers do off the courtroom as what they do on it.
“You may at all times hear me discuss teachers,” he stated. “Levels do matter. If I did not have a level from the College of Illinois, I would not be sitting right here. Our objectives are going to be easy. Get levels, make a big impact locally. I’ve at all times been excessive on going out and making a distinction.”
Brown stated he is discovered so much from the coaches he is labored for alongside the best way, together with Invoice Self and Bruce Weber on the College of Illinois, and that may affect how he’ll coach at Roosevelt.
“You will have Invoice Self who actually believed in me and this little small child from Maywood, Illinois will get the chance to go to (the College of) Illinois,” Brown stated. “Bruce Weber stepped in and did so much for my profession. John Groce gave me a possibility. Steve McClain gave me my first job. Luke Yaklich, he did not must hold me on over there. Every little thing I preach now in basketball and in life, they taught me. Once I known as coach Weber, I advised him we will play numerous Weber basketball whenever you watch my groups. Sharing the basketball, unity, how we work.”
Brown’s identify recognition ought to assist as he tries to construct a crew at Roosevelt, even when, as he stated, is on Crew Brown.
ZAHN: Individuals right here know Dee Brown. How a lot does that assist you whenever you’re making an attempt to place collectively a program, whenever you’re on the market recruiting?
BROWN: It is 50/50. Some folks wish to see me fail. Some folks wish to see me do nicely. That is the character of the beast. That is the character of the place I am from. However I’ve acquired numerous love. I’ve at all times handled folks nicely. There’s lots of people who wish to assist me based mostly off the relationships I’ve constructed through the years.”
Irrespective of the ratio of these rooting for Brown, he’s assured he’ll succeed.
“I believe Roosevelt U. is a spot the place individuals are going to wish to come play, for the tradition we will construct, the good workers I will have, and the power and keenness I’ve for the town,” he stated.
And Brown, who stated he was at all times a frontrunner on the courtroom when he performed, sounds prepared to steer this program to success.
Whereas he’s assured taking over the position, Brown stated he additionally understands he has so much to find out about being a head coach. He stated he’ll depend on mates within the enterprise for recommendation and would additionally like to usher in skilled assistants.
