Hubie Brown retires due to health-related issues

Memphis, TN (Basketball News) - Hubie Brown addressed the media Friday, one day after announcing his retirement as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Brown cited unspecified health concerns for his decision, which brings an end to a 33-year basketball coaching career, including 13 seasons as an NBA head coach.

"I need on a daily basis an energy and a stamina, and then with me it’s a spirit," Brown said Friday. "But the key is spirit. See, the spirit is what gives you the passion on a daily basis.

"One day you wake up, you don’t have that, and that’s when you’ve got to understand that it’s time you’ve got to walk."

Brown won the NBA Coach of the Year Award for the second time in his illustrious career last season after leading Memphis to its first playoff appearance in the franchise’s 10-year history.

Under Brown’s tutelage, Memphis finished the 2003-04 regular season at 50-32, a 22-win improvement from the previous year.

"Last year was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life," Brown said.

Brown returned from retirement to become the Grizzlies’ sixth head coach on November 12, 2002. Previously, the 70-year-old coach led the New York Knicks to two playoff appearances during five seasons (1982-87) and the Atlanta Hawks to three playoff appearances in five seasons (1976-81).

"This is an extremely sad day for me," Memphis President of Basketball Operations Jerry West said. "We are going to miss this man tremendously. He’s not only a great man, he’s a wondeful coach."

In his 13-year coaching career with the Hawks, Knicks and Grizzlies, Brown has a regular season record of 424-495.

Assistant Lionel Hollins has been tagged the team’s interim coach.

This is the second time that Hollins will take over as the Grizzlies’ interim coach. During the 1999-00 campaign, he was named head coach midway through the season and guided the team to an 18-42 finish. Hollins first joined the Grizzlies as the lead assistant when the franchise was in Vancouver during its inaugural season of 1995-96.

Before joining the Grizzlies, Hollins served seven years with the Phoenix Suns as an assistant coach from 1988-95.