Coach Brown was incredibly kind and generous to me early in my career. I have many fond memories and stories. One of my favorites: I wanted to interview Shaq for a cover story with Tiger Rag. I tried every angle to get in touch and finally gave in and asked Coach Brown, who I knew would help but who I didn’t want to bother with something that felt so self-serving. Not ten minutes after I hung up with Coach Brown, I got a call from an unknown number. It was Shaq. When I expressed how surprised I was by the quickness of his call, he replied, “I will do anything for Coach Brown.” From our conversations about Matthew McConaughey, to the confidence he helped me develop as a young journalist, I am grateful for his impact on my life. This is a photo we took when we filmed a hype video for LSU Basketball. He said, “This is the real Fab Five.” I know him and Coach Wooden are already catching up and trading notes.