Dee Brown, the 2005 Sporting News National Player of the Year, was named an assistant coach for the Flames ahead of the 2017-18 season by former UIC head coach Steve McClain.
Brown played at the University of Illinois from 2002-06. He helped the Fighting Illini capture Big Ten championships in 2004 and 2005 and reach the national championship game of the NCAA Tournament in 2005. A consensus First Team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2005, Brown graduated as the winningest player in program history with 114 wins, and as the school’s all-time leader in minutes (4,698) and starts (136).
Following his successful stint in Champaign, Brown was selected by the Utah Jazz in the 2006 NBA Draft. In addition to stops in Washington, Phoenix and Dallas on the NBA circuit, the Maywood, Ill., native spent a total of nine seasons as a professional basketball player, mainly overseas. He was a two-time champion in Europe and named Player of the Year with PBC Lukoil Academic in Bulgaria in 2015.
As a local prep standout at Proviso East High School, Brown was named Mr. Basketball in Illinois and a McDonald’s All-American in 2002.
Upon announcing his retirement as a player in 2015, Brown returned to his alma mater as a Special Assistant to the Athletic Director. He also served as the Director of Player Development and Alumni Relations for the men’s basketball program under head coach John Groce.
Brown’s first foray into coaching came in the AAU circuit with Chicago Meanstreets. He also led Bloomington Flex, a USA select team, on a tour through China earlier this summer.
Brown graduated from the University of Illinois in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Sports & Tourism.
