Hubie Brown

Hubie Brown started his coaching career with St. Mary Academy where he coached basketball and baseball.

Brown coached basketball at Fair Lawn High School in Fair Lawn, New Jersey until 1967. He was later replaced by Bob Gottlieb.

Coach Brown was an assistant coach for the basketball team at the College of William & Mary.

Coach Brown joined the staff as an assistant coach under Vic Bubas. During Brown’s single season, he also taught two elective basketball courses for the college.

Coach Brown’s first NBA coaching job was with the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach under Larry Costello. Milwaukee made the NBA Finals in 1974 but lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics, who were led by their own superstars: Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Jo Jo White and future Bucks head coach Don Nelson.

Notable Players Coached

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  • 6× NBA champion (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
  • 2× NBA Finals MVP (1971, 1985)
  • 6× NBA Most Valuable Player (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980)
  • 19× NBA All-Star (1970–1977, 1979–1989)
  • 10× All-NBA First Team (1971–1974, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986)
  • 5× All-NBA Second Team (1970, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1985)
  • 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1974, 1975, 1979–1981)
  • 6× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1970, 1971, 1976–1978, 1984)
  • 1970 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 4× NBA blocks leader (1975, 1976, 1979, 1980)
  • 35th, 50th, & 75th NBA anniversary team sections
• Oscar Robertson
  • 1971 NBA champion
  • 1964 NBA Most Valuable Player
  • 12× NBA All-Star (1961–1972)
  • 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1961, 1964, 1969)
  • 9× All-NBA First Team (1961–1969)
  • 2× All-NBA Second Team (1970, 1971)
  • 1961 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 6× NBA assists leader (1961, 1962, 1964–1966, 1969)
  • 35th, 50th, & 75th NBA anniversary team sections
• Lucius Allen
  • 1971 NBA champion
  • 2× NCAA champion (1967, 1968)
• Bob Dandridge
  • 2× NBA champion (1971, 1978)
  • 4× NBA All-Star (1973, 1975, 1976, 1979)
  • 1979 All-NBA Second Team
  • 1979 NBA All-Defensive First Team
  • 1970 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • No. 10 retired by Milwaukee Bucks
• Jon McGlocklin
  • 1971 NBA champion
  • 1969 NBA All-Star
  • No. 14 retired by Milwaukee Bucks

Coach Brown became the head coach of the Kentucky Colonels, succeeding Babe McCarthy In his first season, the Colonels finished with a 58–26 record, reaching the ABA finals, where they defeated the Indiana Pacers in 5 games. The following season, the Colonels finished with a 46–38 record, making the playoffs again, but lost to the Denver Nuggets in 7 games in the Division Semifinals.

The ABA merged with the NBA in 1976, making this the last season in Colonels history.

Notable Players Coached

• Artis Gilmore
  • 1975 ABA champion
  • 1975 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player
  • 1972 ABA Most Valuable Player
  • 6× NBA All-Star (1978, 1979, 1981–1983, 1986)
  • 5× ABA All-Star (1972–1976)
  • 1974 ABA All-Star Game MVP
  • 5× All-ABA First Team (1972–1976)
  • 4× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1973–1976)
  • 1972 ABA Rookie of the Year
  • 4× ABA rebounding champion (1972–1974, 1976)
  • ABA All-Time Team
• Dan Issel
  • 1975 ABA champion
  • 1977 NBA All-Star
  • 6× ABA All-Star (1971–1976)
  • ABA All-Star Game MVP (1972)
  • 1972 All-ABA First Team
  • ABA Rookie of the Year (1971)
  • ABA scoring champion (1971)
  • ABA All-Time Team
  • No. 44 retired by Denver Nuggets
• Louie Dampier
  • 1975 ABA champion
  • 7× ABA All-Star (1968–1970, 1972–1975)
  • 4× All-ABA Second Team (1968–1970, 1974)
  • ABA All-Rookie First Team (1968)
  • ABA All-Time Team
• Maurice Lucas
  • 1977 NBA champion
  • 4× NBA All-Star (1977–1979, 1983)
  • ABA All-Star (1976)
  • NBA All-Defensive First Team (1978)
  • NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1979)
  • ABA All-Time Team
  • No. 20 retired by Portland Trail Blazers
• Gene Littles
  • 1975 ABA champion

Coach Brown succeeded Cotton Fitzsimmons as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. In his first season, the Hawks finished with a 31-51 record, missing the playoffs. The following season, the Hawks finished the season with the 41–41 record, reaching the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by the Washington Bullets in 2 games.

In 1979, They finished with a 46–36 record but were eliminated the semifinals by the Washington Bullets in 7 games. In 1980, they finished with a 50-32 record and were eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers in 5 games.

In his last season, after a 31-48 record, Coach Brown was fired and replaced by Mike Fratello. As of 2026, Brown has the 5th most coaching wins In Hawks history with 199.

Notable Players Coached

• Lou Hudson
  • 6× NBA All-Star (1969–1974)
  • 1970 All-NBA Second Team
  • 1967 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • No. 23 retired by Atlanta Hawks
• John Drew
  • 2× NBA All-Star (1976, 1980)
  • 1975 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Geoff Petrie
  • 2× NBA All-Star (1971, 1974)
  • 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 1971 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • No. 45 retired by Portland Trail Blazers
• Armond Hill (Future NBA coach & 2008 champion as an assistant)

Coach Brown became the head coach of the New York Knicks, succeeding longtime coach and champion Red Holzman.

After a 4-12 start, Brown was fired and replaced by assistant coach Bob Hill.

Notable Players Coached

• Patrick Ewing
  • 11× NBA All-Star (1986, 1988–1997)
  • 1990 All-NBA First Team
  • 6× All-NBA Second Team (1988, 1989, 1991–1993, 1997)
  • 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1988, 1989, 1992)
  • 1986 NBA Rookie of the Year
  • 1986 NBA All-Rookie Team
  • 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selections
  • No. 33 retired by New York Knicks
• Bernard King
  • 4× NBA All-Star (1982, 1984, 1985, 1991)
  • 2× All-NBA First Team (1984, 1985)
  • 1981 NBA Comeback Player of the Year
  • 1978 NBA All-Rookie Team
  • 1985 NBA scoring champion
• Paul Westphal
  • 1974 NBA champion
  • 5× NBA All-Star (1977–1981)
  • 3× All-NBA First Team (1977, 1979, 1980)
  • All-NBA Second Team (1978)
  • 1983 NBA Comeback Player of the Year
  • No. 44 retired by Phoenix Suns
• Truck Robinson
  • 2× NBA All-Star (1978, 1981)
  • All-NBA First Team (1978)
  • 1978 NBA rebounding leader
• Bill Cartwright
  • 3× NBA champion (1991–1993)
  • 1980 NBA All-Star
• Darrell Walker
  • 1993 NBA champion
  • 1984 NBA All-Rookie First Team

Coach Brown was hired in during the 2002-2003 season, succeeding Sidney Lowe who resigned after a 0-8 start. The team finished the season with a 28–54 record. The following season, the Grizzlies improved their record with a 50–32 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in 4 games in the first round.

In 2004, after starting the season with a 5-7 record, Coach Brown resigned and was later replaced by Mike Fratello.

Notable Players Coached

• Pau Gasol
  • 2× NBA champion (2009, 2010)
  • 6× NBA All-Star (2006, 2009–2011, 2015, 2016)
  • 2× All-NBA Second Team (2011, 2015)
  • 2× All-NBA Third Team (2009, 2010)
  • 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year
• Mike Miller
  • 2× NBA champion (2012, 2013)
  • 2006 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
  • 2001 NBA Rookie of the Year
• Jason Williams
  • 2006 NBA champion
  • 1999 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• Shane Battier
  • 2× NBA champion (2012, 2013)
  • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2008, 2009)
• James Posey (2× NBA champion (2006, 2008)