Former Bobcat Coach Larry Brown To Smu

[King Taharqa]

DALLAS (AP) Larry Brown is returning to college to get back into coaching.

The 71-year-old Hall of Fame coach was hired Thursday at SMU. It is his first college job in nearly a quarter century, and comes at a struggling program that is headed to the Big East after next season.

''It's a challenge like everything. The greater the challenge, the greater the opportunity,'' Brown told The Associated Press by phone from his home in Philadelphia.

Brown, the only coach to win an NBA championship and NCAA title, hasn't coached since leaving the Charlotte Bobcats in December 2010 after the NBA's team's 9-19 start. His contract there was to run through the end of the current season.

SMU hasn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1988, the year Brown led Kansas to the national championship in his last season as a college coach.

''It's not like I haven't been involved. I live in Villanova, I've been to Kentucky's practices the last two years, Kansas practices, Maryland's practices and Villanova, I've probably seen them practice 50 times a year,'' Brown said, when asked about returning to the college level.

''People have to understand, you're coaching college kids in the NBA, so I've found out kids want to be taught, they want to be coached, they want to get better,'' he said. ''I really think the fact that I've had a background in both areas is going to help me.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ap-source-smu-larry-brown-193305271--ncaab.html;_ylt=AveGuac7SVCe3dLz8cNSmlc5nYcB

Congrats Coach Brown on your new job. Thank you for all you did here for the Bobcats. I dont consider it worthless or of no value, and most real Bobcats fans dont either. Good luck!

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Best coach in Bobcats history, hopefully Stephen Silas can or Nate McMillan can change that.

[HeatCheck]

Didn't Matt Doherty used to coach there? If so, one UNC coach will be replacing another.

[Herbert The Love Bug]

best coach in Bobcats history? He seriously screwed us up and set us back years by trading away good young players for crappy veterans with huge contracts. I'll never forgive him for trading Emeka for Chandler and Chandler sit out all season then goes to another team. He was just interested in getting to the playoffs one season. Not building a winning team. Worst coach in NBA history. Bernie Bickerstaff was the best. He did really well with next to nothing to work with and had that team playing very hard and energetic.

[King Taharqa]

Interesting take Furrykittyman. I do think this franchise and city needed to see the Bobs win and be a playoff team, so I understand why he went about it the way he did.