The Associated Press, citing a source, reported that former Sixers coach and Hall of Famer Larry Brown had reached an agreement to coach basketball at Southern Methodist University.
Brown has agreed to the take the job, according to the report, though the school has not made an announcement. Apparently, Brown, according to reports, has been negotiating to name his top assistant who would then become his successor.
Reportedly, Penn alum and current head basketball coach Jerome Allen is being considered to be Browns right-hand man. The original report stated that Illionis State coach Tim Jankovich may join Brown, 71, as the coach-in-waiting, but Allens name surfaced on Thursday.
Allen has been coaching the Quakers for the past two-and-half seasons and had the program one game from clinching a berth into the NCAA tournament last season. Allen also played 51 games under Brown for the Indiana Pacers, just one of the 14 different teams Brown has coached in college, the NBA and the ABA during his career.
Hiring Brown could bring attention to the SMU program, which is moving from Conference USA to the much tougher Big East in 2013. The last time SMU made it to the NCAA tournament was 1988, which also was the year Brown won the national championship for Kansas.