CHICAGO – UIC assistant coach Dee Brown was recognized by his peers as one of the top assistant coaches in the Horizon League in a poll recently published by Stadium. Among all Horizon League assistant coaches, Brown was tabbed as the fourth-best coach in the conference.
 
Stadium Basketball insider Jeff Goodman polled at least 20 coaches, primarily assistants, and asked them to name the top assistant coaches in their respective leagues.
 
"Dee is a passionate teacher of the game of basketball and has an incredible love and respect for the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois," said head coach Luke Yaklich. "His ability to connect with players on and off the court is special because it is genuine and comes from the heart. He has been a tremendous asset to our program on the court as a teacher and off the court as a mentor to the guards in our program. He is a connector and works diligently to build intentional relationships on the recruiting trail."
 
No stranger to the state of Illinois, Brown was a McDonald's All-American coming out of Proviso East in Chicago, starred at Illinois in the 2000s and spent most of his pro playing career overseas. He retired in 2015, returned to his alma mater as a special assistant to the athletic director and also served as the director of player development and alumni relations for men's basketball. Brown joined the UIC staff in 2017 and begins his fourth season with the Flames in 2020-21.
 
A fellow Horizon League coach was quoted as saying, "Dee is a rising star in this business. His individual on-court skill development and his ability to relate to his players are assets that set him apart."
 
For the complete list of the top-five assistant coaches in the Horizon League, you can read Jeff's story here.