Former KU coach Larry Brown taking medical leave of absence from Memphis Tigers hoops

Former University of Kansas men’s basketball coach Larry Brown is taking a leave of absence from his position as “special adviser to the head coach” at the University of Memphis, the school announced Sunday on Twitter.

Brown, 82, according to the official “Memphis basketball” Twitter account has left the team “to address a minor medical issue and hopes to return soon. We wish him the best and respect his privacy at this time. Sending love to our guy.”

No exact time frame was listed in regards to Brown’s leave of absence.

Brown, head coach of KU’s 1988 national championship team, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. He is the only coach in history to win both a college and NBA title. Brown’s Detroit Pistons won it all in 2004.

He joined Memphis coach Penny Hardaway’s coaching staff in July of 2021 and served as a full-time assistant during the 2021-22 season. Hardaway played for Brown when Brown coached the New York Knicks.

With Brown on staff, the Memphis Tigers last season qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. The Tigers are expected to have a tourney team again in 2022-23, being picked second in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll behind Houston.