{{short description|American professional basketball coach|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Brett Brown | image = Brett Brown 2015 (cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = Brown in 2015 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|2|16}} | birth_place = South Portland, Maine, U.S. | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | team = San Antonio Spurs | position = Assistant coach | league = NBA | high_school = South Portland<br />(South Portland, Maine) | college = Boston University (1979–1983) | coach_start = 1988 | coach_end = | cyears1 = 1988 | cteam1 = Altos Auckland | cyears2 = 1988–1991 | cteam2 = Melbourne Tigers (assistant) | cyears3 = 1992 | cteam3 = Bulleen Boomers | cyears4 = 1993–1998 | cteam4 = North Melbourne Giants | cyears5 = 2000–2002 | cteam5 = Sydney Kings | cyears6 = {{nbay|2003|start}}–{{nbay|2012|end}} | cteam6 = San Antonio Spurs (assistant) | cyears7 = {{nbay|2013|start}}–{{nbay|2019|end}} | cteam7 = Philadelphia 76ers | cyears8 = {{nbay|2022|start}}–present | cteam8 = San Antonio Spurs (assistant) | highlights = '''As head coach:''' * NBL champion (1994) * NBL Coach of the Year (1994) '''As assistant coach:''' * 3× NBA champion (2003, 2005, 2007) }} '''Brett William Brown''' (born February 16, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Brown is a former college basketball player who previously served as head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers from 2013 to 2020. Before that, Brown was an assistant on Gregg Popovich's staff on the Spurs. He also has extensive experience coaching in Australia, having been the head coach of the North Melbourne Giants and Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL).
==Playing career==
===High school=== Born and raised in Maine, Brown first played organized basketball in Rockland, was a star guard in junior high school there, and then his father was hired as the head coach.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2010/10/06/sports/midcoast-sports-hall-of-fame-to-induct-5/|title=Midcoast Sports Hall of Fame to induct 5|work=Bangor Daily News|access-date=April 22, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> Brown transferred to South Portland where he became a star basketball player at South Portland High School, from which he graduated in 1979.<ref name=GJordan>{{cite news|last=Jordan|first=Glenn|title=Brett Brown hot name in coaching|url=http://www.onlinesentinel.com/sports/brett-brown-hot-name-in-coaching_2013-07-01.html?pagenum=full|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=Portland Press Herald|date=July 2, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827224043/http://www.onlinesentinel.com/sports/brett-brown-hot-name-in-coaching_2013-07-01.html?pagenum=full|archive-date=August 27, 2013}}</ref> Brown was a two-year first-team all-state guard in 1978 and 1979, and led his team to a 27–0 record and a State Class A Title in his senior year.<ref name=GJordan/> Both Brown and his father, Bob Brown, who was South Portland's head coach during Brown's playing career, are inductees to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.<ref name=NBAprofile/>
===Collegiate career=== Brown played four seasons at Boston University under Rick Pitino. He was named the Lou Cohen MVP in his sophomore year and served as the team captain in both his junior and senior seasons. During his senior year in 1983, the Boston Terriers made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1959.<ref name=GJordan/> By the time he graduated, Brown had compiled the fourth-most assists in school history.<ref name=NBAprofile/> After graduation, he served as a graduate assistant under coach John Kuester.<ref name=Hofmann>{{cite news|last=Hofmann|first=Rich|title=A Closer Look at Brett Brown|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sbnation/sixers/SBNation_20130722_A_Closer_Look_at_Brett_Brown.html|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=Philly.com|date=July 22, 2013}}</ref> Brown also took a sales job with AT&T, saving enough money to take a backpacking trip to Oceania in 1987.<ref name=GJordan/>
==Coaching career==
===NBL=== In 1988, after a coaching stint in New Zealand with Altos Auckland,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kM9iUMZsQU&t=284s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/_kM9iUMZsQU |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|title=NZ Basketball in the 1980s - part 1|work=YouTube|access-date=July 28, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Brown made a cold call to Melbourne Tigers head coach Lindsay Gaze, ultimately leading to a job offer. He spent four seasons as an assistant to Gaze in the Australian NBL.<ref name=GJordan/>
In 1992, Brown secured his first senior head coaching position in Australia with the Bulleen Boomers of the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). There he coached Drederick Irving.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-9686-0-0-0&sID=282674&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=23873651|title=Drederick Irving|work=1st Pick Hoops|access-date=21 August 2024}}</ref>
Brown became head coach of the North Melbourne Giants in 1993 and was named NBL Coach of the Year in 1994, when he led the Giants to a championship victory over the Adelaide 36ers. He served as head coach of the Giants until 1998, before taking a job with the San Antonio Spurs.<ref name=NBAprofile/> Following his stint with the Spurs, Brown coached the Sydney Kings from 2000 to 2002.<ref name=NBAprofile/><ref name=NBL>{{cite news|title=Former NBL coach gets top job|url=http://www.nbl.com.au/article/id/kemkjg7fkjqv1qm8kofr42luz|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=NBL.com.au|date=August 15, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413161654/http://www.nbl.com.au/article/id/kemkjg7fkjqv1qm8kofr42luz|archive-date=April 13, 2014}}</ref> Overall, he was a head coach for 278 NBL games, winning 54 percent of the time.<ref name=Summer>{{cite news|last=Nagy|first=Boti|title=New Boomers coach Brett Brown to take charge in Las Vegas in July|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/more-sports/basketball/boomers-to-cash-in/story-e6frf3f3-1225699603493|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=Fox Sports|date=April 2, 2009}}</ref>
===San Antonio Spurs=== thumb|left|upright=0.9|Brown as Spurs assistant coach in 2010 After attending a basketball camp run by Brown and Andrew Gaze, San Antonio Spurs general manager R. C. Buford hired Brown as an unpaid member of the Spurs' basketball operations department for the 1998–99 lockout-shortened season.<ref name=GJordan/> In 2002, after a stint with the Sydney Kings, he again took a position with the Spurs, this time as the team's director of player development.<ref name=NBAprofile>{{cite web|title=Brett Brown|url=http://www.nba.com/coachfile/brett_brown/|work=NBA.com|access-date=April 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622190112/http://www.nba.com/coachfile/brett_brown/|archive-date=June 22, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Buford credited him with focusing attention on the team's lesser-known players, creating a consistently strong bench; this philosophy would continue to benefit the Spurs even after Brown left his role as player development director.<ref name=SpursBench>{{cite news|last1=Goldsberry|first1=Kirk|title=The Foreign Legion in San Antonio|url=http://grantland.com/features/san-antonio-spurs-bench-international-manu-ginobili-rc-buford/|access-date=June 2, 2014|publisher=Grantland|date=June 2, 2014}}</ref> He was promoted to assistant coach in September 2007, working under coach Gregg Popovich.<ref name=AssistantCoach>{{cite news|title=Brett Brown Named Assistant Coach|url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/brett_brown_070904.html|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=NBA.com}}</ref> Popovich calls Brown "one of his best friends," and Brown would later incorporate many of Popovich's concepts into his own offensive system.<ref name=Pop>{{cite news|last=Dominguez|first=Raul|title=Popovich feels bad, but not sorry, for Brett Brown|url=http://www.csnphilly.com/basketball-philadelphia-sixers/popovich-feels-bad-not-sorry-brett-brown|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=CSNPhilly|date=March 24, 2014}}</ref> He played a major role in signing Australian guard Patty Mills, who played under him for the Australian national team.<ref name=RWard/> Brown was a member of the Spurs organization for four of their championship-winning seasons.<ref name=NBAprofile/>
===Philadelphia 76ers=== thumb|right|Brett Brown is interviewed at a 76ers fan meet and greet in 2014 During the 2013 NBA off-season, Brown was offered a chance to succeed Mike Budenholzer as the top assistant on Gregg Popovich's staff, but in August 2013, he chose instead to become head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.<ref name=Lowe>{{cite news|last=Lowe|first=Zach|title=Q&A: Brett Brown on His Spurs Past, His Philly Future, and Going for a Jog|url=https://grantland.com/the-triangle/qa-brett-brown-on-his-spurs-past-his-philly-future-and-going-for-a-jog/|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=Grantland|date=January 22, 2014}}</ref> He inherited a team in "total rebuilding mode" led by new general manager Sam Hinkie,<ref name=DRJ/> and the Sixers were only able to woo Brown away from the Spurs after offering a 4-year guaranteed contract.<ref name=USAToday>{{cite news|last=Wolf|first=Jason|title=Brett Brown demanded 4-year contract to coach Sixers|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/sixers/2013/08/15/brett-brown-philadelphia-76ers-coach/2658335/|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=USA Today|date=August 15, 2013}}</ref> His appointment made him the 24th head coach in the history of the franchise,<ref name=DRJ>{{cite news|last=AP|title=76ers hire Brett Brown as coach|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/9568144/philadelphia-76ers-make-official-hire-brett-brown|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=ESPN.com|date=August 14, 2013}}</ref> and the second person to be a head coach in both the NBL and the NBA, following Mike Dunlap. The Sixers were the youngest team in the league during Brown's first year, and one of the youngest of all time.<ref name=Youth>{{cite news|last=Feldman|first=Dan|title=Extra Pass: How Brett Brown and his 76ers have embraced their youth|url=http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/07/how-brett-brown-and-his-76ers-have-embraced-their-youth/|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=NBC Sports|date=April 7, 2014}}</ref> During the second half of the 2013–14 season, the Sixers would lose 26 games in a row, tying the record for longest NBA losing streak.<ref name=Streak>{{cite news|last=Golliver|first=Ben|title=Sixers blow out Pistons, snap record-tying losing streak at 26 games|url=http://nba.si.com/2014/03/29/sixers-snap-losing-streak-pistons-26-games/|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=Sports Illustrated|date=March 30, 2014}}</ref> Sixers point guard Michael Carter-Williams won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2014, and credited Brown for helping him win the award and grow as a player.<ref name=ROY>{{cite news|last1=Lynam|first1=Dei|title=ROY Carter-Williams grew with coach Brett Brown|url=http://www.csnphilly.com/basketball-philadelphia-sixers/roy-carter-williams-grew-coach-brett-brown|access-date=June 3, 2014|publisher=Comcast Sportsnet|date=May 5, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140615002233/http://www.csnphilly.com/basketball-philadelphia-sixers/roy-carter-williams-grew-coach-brett-brown|archive-date=June 15, 2014}}</ref>
On December 11, 2015, the 76ers signed Brown to a contract extension.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sixers Extend Brett Brown's Contract|date=December 11, 2015|work=NBA.com|url=http://www.nba.com/sixers/news/sixers-extend-brett-browns-contract|access-date=December 18, 2015}}</ref> On May 31, 2018, the 76ers signed Brown to another contract extension, coming off their first playoff appearance since 2012. On June 7, 2018, Brown was named interim general manager after Bryan Colangelo resigned after a social media scandal, where he and his wife criticized team members.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement from Philadelphia 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris |url=https://www.nba.com/sixers/statement-philadelphia-76ers-managing-partner-josh-harris |website=NBA.com |access-date=November 27, 2019 |date=June 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bryan Colangelo resigns as president of 76ers |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23723964/bryan-colangelo-resigns-president-philadelphia-76ers |website=ESPN.com |access-date=November 27, 2019 |date=June 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Joyce |first1=Greg |title=76ers GM Bryan Colangelo out over Twitter scandal |url=https://nypost.com/2018/06/07/76ers-gm-bryan-colangelo-out-over-twitter-scandal/ |website=New York Post |access-date=November 27, 2019 |date=June 7, 2018}}</ref> Before the 76ers found his replacement in former player Elton Brand on September 20, 2018, Brown signed off on multiple trades that the 76ers did in the months of June & July, including an infamous trade during the 2018 NBA draft where Philadelphia native and 2x NCAA champion Mikal Bridges from Villanova University was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Zhaire Smith and a 2021 first round pick from the Miami Heat after being selected by the 76ers. He also signed off on the signings of players like Shake Milton, Norvel Pelle, and Anthony Brown at the time, as well as re-signing veterans like JJ Redick, Amir Johnson, and Demetrius Jackson.
On August 24, 2020, Brown was fired by the 76ers after being swept out of the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs by the Boston Celtics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sixers fire Brett Brown after first-round sweep |url=https://www.nba.com/article/2020/08/24/philadelphia-76ers-fire-brett-brown-report |website=NBA.com |access-date=August 25, 2020 |date=August 24, 2020}}</ref>
=== Return to San Antonio === On June 30, 2022, Brown re-joined the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant coach.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SPURS NAME BRETT BROWN ASSISTANT COACH |url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-name-brett-brown-assistant-coach |access-date=June 30, 2022 |website=NBA}}</ref>
== National team career == Brown was an assistant coach of the Australia national team between 1995 and 2003, serving during the 1998 FIBA World Championship and the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics.<ref name=RWard/> He was hired in 2009 to serve as head coach of the team, and held that position until 2012.<ref name=RWard>{{cite news|last=Ward|first=Roy|title=Brett Brown resigns as Boomers coach|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/brett-brown-resigns-as-boomers-coach-20121029-28f13.html|access-date=April 10, 2014|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|date=October 29, 2012}}</ref> Under Brown, Australia finished 10th in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.<ref name=RWard/> In the 2012 Summer Olympics, he led Australia to the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by the United States national team, who won the tournament.<ref name=NBAprofile/>
On November 27, 2019, Brown returned to Australia national team as head coach replacing Andrej Lemanis.<ref>{{cite web |title=Australian Boomers Announce New Coach Ahead of Tokyo Olympics |url=https://australia.basketball/blog/2019/11/27/australian-boomers-announce-new-coach-ahead-of-tokyo-olympics/ |website=australia.basketball |access-date=November 27, 2019 |date=November 27, 2019 |archive-date=December 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214123425/https://australia.basketball/blog/2019/11/27/australian-boomers-announce-new-coach-ahead-of-tokyo-olympics/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Uluc |first1=Olgun |title=Brett Brown confirmed as Australian Boomers head coach for Tokyo 2020, replacing Andrej Lemanis |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/basketball/brett-brown-confirmed-as-australian-boomers-head-coach-for-tokyo-2020-replacing-andrej-lemanis/news-story/d5fb0b91f690d84083afe4529af33d5f |website=Fox Sports |access-date=November 27, 2019 |date=November 27, 2019}}</ref> He was expected to lead the team at the 2020 Summer Olympics but it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic until 2021. Brown quit his role on October 13, 2020, without having led the team in a game. He cited his career uncertainty after his firing from the 76ers and the difficulties of travelling with his family due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reasons for his departure.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brett Brown quits as Boomers head coach after losing NBA job |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-13/brett-brown-quits-as-boomers-coach/12763514 |website=ABC News |access-date=October 13, 2020 |date=October 13, 2020}}</ref>
==Head coaching record==
===NBA=== {{NBA coach statistics legend}} {{NBA coach statistics start}} |- | align="left" |Philadelphia | align="left" |{{nbay|2013}} | 82||19||63||{{Winning percentage|19|63}}||align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—|| align="center" |Missed playoffs |- | align="left" |Philadelphia | align="left" |{{nbay|2014}} | 82||18||64||{{Winning percentage|18|64}}||align="center" |4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—|| align="center" |Missed playoffs |- | align="left" |Philadelphia | align="left" |{{nbay|2015}} | 82||10||72||{{Winning percentage|10|72}}||align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—|| align="center" |Missed playoffs |- | align="left" |Philadelphia | align="left" |{{nbay|2016}} | 82||28||54||{{Winning percentage|28|54}}||align="center" |4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—|| align="center" |Missed playoffs |- | align="left" |Philadelphia | align="left" |{{nbay|2017}} | 82||52||30||{{Winning percentage|52|30}}||align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||10||5||5||{{Winning percentage|5|5}}|| align="center" |Lost in conference semifinals |- | align="left" |Philadelphia | align="left" |{{nbay|2018}} | 82||51||31||{{Winning percentage|51|31}}||align="center" |2nd in Atlantic||12||7||5||{{Winning percentage|7|5}}|| align="center" |Lost in conference semifinals |- | align="left" |Philadelphia | align="left" |{{nbay|2019}} | 73||43||30||{{Winning percentage|43|30}}||align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||4||0||4||{{Winning percentage|0|4}}|| align="center" |Lost in first round |-class="sortbottom" | align="center" colspan="2"|Total | 565||221||344||{{Winning percentage|221|344}}|| ||26||12||14||{{Winning percentage|12|14}}|| {{s-end}}
===NBL=== {{NBA coach statistics legend}} {{NBA coach statistics start}} |- | align="left" |North Melbourne | align="left" |1993 | 29||14||15||{{Winning percentage|14|15}}||align="center" | 8th || 3 || 1 || 2 ||{{Winning percentage|1|2}}|| align="center" | Lost in quarter-finals |- | align="left" |North Melbourne | align="left" |1994 | 33||25||8||{{Winning percentage|25|8}}||align="center" | 1st || 7 || 6 || 1 ||{{Winning percentage|6|1}}|| align="center" | Won NBL Finals |- | align="left" |North Melbourne | align="left" |1995 | 34||23||11||{{Winning percentage|23|11}}||align="center" | 2nd || 8 || 5 || 3 ||{{Winning percentage|5|3}}||align="center" | Lost in NBL Finals |- | align="left" |North Melbourne | align="left" |1996 | 28||15||13||{{Winning percentage|15|13}}||align="center" | 7th || 2 || 0 || 2 ||{{Winning percentage|0|2}}||align="center" | Lost in quarter-finals |- | align="left" |North Melbourne | align="left" |1997 | 35||20||15||{{Winning percentage|20|15}}||align="center" | 3rd || 5 || 2 || 3 ||{{Winning percentage|2|3}}||align="center" | Lost in semi-finals |- | align="left" |North Melbourne | align="left" |1998 | 30||9||21||{{Winning percentage|9|21}}||align="center" | 11th || — || — || — || — ||align="center" | Missed playoffs |- | align="center" colspan="2" |North Melbourne total |189||106||83||{{Winning percentage|106|83}}|| || 25 || 14 || 11 ||{{Winning percentage|14|11}}||align="center"|1 NBL championship |- | align="left" |Sydney Kings | align="left" |2000–01 | 31||18||13||{{Winning percentage|18|13}}||align="center" | 5th || 3 || 1 || 2 ||{{Winning percentage|1|2}}||align="center" | Lost in quarter-finals |- | align="left" |Sydney Kings | align="left" |2001–02 | 30||14||16||{{Winning percentage|14|16}}||align="center" | 7th || — || — || — || — ||align="center" | Missed playoffs |- | align="center" colspan="2" |Sydney total | 61||32||29||{{Winning percentage|32|29}}|| || 3 || 1 || 2 ||{{Winning percentage|1|2}}|| align="center"|— |- | align="center" colspan="2" |Total | 250||138||112||{{Winning percentage|138|112}} || ||28||15||13||{{Winning percentage|15|13}} || align="center"|1 NBL championships {{s-end}}
==Personal life== Brown met and married his wife, Anna, in Australia. They have two daughters, Julia and Laura, and a son, Sam.<ref name=NBAprofile/> The family resides in San Antonio, Texas.
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{Navboxes|list1= {{Philadelphia 76ers coach navbox}} {{Philadelphia 76ers general manager navbox}} {{NBL Coaches of the Year}} {{North Melbourne Giants 1994 NBL champions}} {{San Antonio Spurs 2006–07 NBA champions}} {{Australia Squad 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship}} {{Australia Squad 2011 FIBA Oceania Championship}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Brett}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriate basketball people in Australia Category:American men's basketball coaches Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball coaches from Maine Category:Basketball players from Maine Category:Boston University Terriers men's basketball players Category:National Basketball League (Australia) coaches Category:NBA general managers Category:North Melbourne Giants coaches Category:Sportspeople from South Portland, Maine Category:Philadelphia 76ers executives Category:Philadelphia 76ers head coaches Category:San Antonio Spurs assistant coaches Category:South Portland High School alumni Category:Sydney Kings coaches Category:20th-century American sportsmen