Marcus Brown has covered a lot of ground across the globe, but the most recent stop brings him back to his most familiar territory.
The 1992 Blue Devil alumnus and former EuroLeague star served as an assistant coach at Murray State (Ky.) University over the past three seasons, where he excelled as a player from 1992-1996. Before that, he led the Blue Devils from 2017-21.
“It’s with unbelievable joy for me to return home to my alma mater,” Brown said in a Facebook post from the school Tuesday afternoon. “I’m blessed and humbled to get the opportunity to lead our prestigious program.”
Brown helped West Memphis win the program’s third all-time state championship during his prep career as a junior in 1991 before going on to play at Murray where he was a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year. He was selected in the third round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers and also had a brief stint with the Detroit Pistons before finishing his career overseas.
Once his playing days were over, Brown came back to West Memphis as an assistant for his former coach and Hall of Famer, Larry Bray. Brown took over the program when Bray stepped into administration as West Memphis’ Athletic Director in 2017. Brown compiled a 92-26 record while leading the Blue Devils and helped them win a share of the 5A state championship with Jacksonville in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the championship round. He was also tabbed 5A-East Conference Coach of the Year twice and 5A Coach of the Year once. Additionally, Brown is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Murray State Hall of Fame, plus one of the best to ever play in the EuroLeague.
(Cover photo by West Memphis School District)
Kyle Sutherland is a journalist and podcast host (Arkansas Preps Weekly) for The Natural State Sports Network. His written work has been featured in outlets including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Best of Arkansas Sports and Hooten’s Arkansas Football. He is also the color commentator for 103.7 The Buzz’s high school football Game of the Week. Email Kyle at kyle@naturalstatesports.com.