Mayor-President Sid Edwards Declares April 5 as 'Coach Dale Brown Recognition Day'

BATON ROUGE, LA - Thursday, April 3, 2025 - In a heartfelt ceremony at the Downtown Library today, Mayor-President Sid Edwards officially proclaimed April 5 as "Coach Dale Brown Recognition Day" in Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish. The proclamation honors Coach Brown for his lasting contributions to student-athletes nationwide and his unwavering advocacy for fairness in college sports.

"Coach Dale Brown's impact goes far beyond the basketball court," said Mayor-President Edwards. "As a former coach myself, I deeply admire his passion for young athletes and his relentless fight for justice in the NCAA. His advocacy has improved the lives of countless student-athletes across the country, and Baton Rouge is proud to recognize him as the leader and humanitarian that he is."

Coach Brown, the legendary former LSU men's basketball coach, is being honored for his decades-long efforts to reform the NCAA rule book. Beginning in 1983, he spent 35 years advocating for changes to 43 NCAA regulations that he deemed unjust to student-athletes. Through relentless effort - including hundreds of speeches and more than 6,000 letters - Brown successfully helped amend or eliminate over 30 of these rules. Today, more than 500,000 student-athletes in all 50 states benefit from his advocacy.

Beyond his role as a reformer, Coach Brown is widely respected as a humanitarian, a role model of integrity and courage, and a fierce champion for the dignity of all people, including student-athletes. His legacy in Baton Rouge and beyond continues to inspire future generations.

The official proclamation presentation occurred at the Downtown Library, where community leaders, former players, and residents gathered to celebrate Brown's extraordinary contributions.