Dee Brown already had a gig with the Illinois athletics department. Now he's officially back with the basketball program.
The Illini announced Wednesday that Brown, one of the all-time great players in program history, will work under head basketball coach John Groce as the director of player development and alumni relations. The Proviso East product spent the past year working as a special assistant to the athletics director.
"I am so excited to begin this next chapter in my career," Brown said in the announcement. "I thought my love for this university couldn't exceed what it was when I played here, but my experience over this last year has only strengthened it. I believe in the vision that coach Groce has for our program, and my role will be to help our players become the best they can be, on the basketball court and in all facets of life."
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According to the announcement, Brown's duties in the new position will include "scheduling and coordinating all student-athlete life skills enhancement opportunities and community service participation, providing off-the-court guidance to players during their collegiate careers and beyond, coordinating video materials, contributing to on-campus recruiting-related activities and directing correspondence with high school coaches, and representing the program at various public and alumni events."
Brown played in 114 wins during his four-year career at Illinois, more than any other player in program history. His 1,812 career points place him third on the Illinois all-time scoring list, and he ranks second all-time in 3-pointers and steals, as well as third in assists. Most notably, he was one of the key cogs on the 2004-05 team that won 37 games and reached the national championship game, a campaign after which he was named a consensus first-team All American.
"Dee Brown's passion for the University of Illinois and Fighting Illini athletics is unmatched," Groce said in the announcement. "He stands as one of the greatest to ever play here, but anyone who knows Dee knows that he does not rest upon past accomplishments. He is committed to paying it forward as a mentor to our current student-athletes. He has a tremendous future in the coaching profession, and we are thrilled to welcome him to our staff as we work collectively in building a championship program."