SAN FRANCISCO — The University of San Francisco mourns the loss of Hall of Famer Eugene "Gene" Brown, who passed away on March 22 at the age of 84 years old. Brown was a cornerstone member of the Dons' 1956 National Championship team, earning All-American accolades and NCAA All-Tournament honors as well.
Eugene "Gene" Brown was one of the keys to the Dons' 60-game win streak and its 1955-56 NCAA championship. Lauded for his favorite fade-away jump shot, he was also an excellent dribbler, and despite his 6-foot-3 frame, a fine rebounder. Brown first made sports headlines during 1956 postseason tournament play when he drove USF to the NCAA Championship averaging 20 points per game.
"First of all, he was a great, great teammate," said teammate and fellow USF Hall of Famer Mike Farmer. "I'd go to war with Gene anytime. He was a helluva player, but he was also a tremendous friend. I put him up there with K.C. Jones and Hal Perry as the top-two guys who were the best teammates on that 56 team.
"Not many people remember he took Jones' spot in the starting lineup in the NCAA Tournament and he was tremendous. The two years after were a lot of fun and really special to me because Gene and I were the only two starters back from that '56 team and we made it all the way back to the Final Four the next season."
A native of San Francisco, Brown arrived on The Hilltop from Washington High School where he was a three-time all-city player. Fast and cat-like, Brown was a tremendous jumper and could dunk the ball with ease. It was his floor play, however, that was the real eye-catcher. While at USF, he averaged four to five steals per game. In his last two games of regular-season play in 1957, the quick-handed Brown intercepted 14 passes.
A converted forward, he moved onto varsity after playing for Ross Guidice's freshman team. With K.C. Jones on the starting quintet, coach Woolpert used Brown sparingly until post-season play in the Western Regionals. There, he took control of UCLA, scoring 23 points in the tournament opener. Three wins later, the Dons had snared their second consecutive NCAA Championship and Brown earned the first of three all-tournament selections in his brilliant career.
The next two years were known as the "Brown Era" as he led the team in scoring his junior and senior years despite suffering a broken hand at the beginning of the 1956-57 season. In his second year on varsity, he averaged 15.1 points per game and powered the Dons to the Final Four where the team fell to the eventual NCAA champions. Brown made the all-tournament team at both the NCAA Western Regional Playoffs and the Final Four.
Following a brief pro ball career in which he played for the Buchan Bakers and San Francisco Saints in the National Industrial League, Brown devoted over 40 years to public service. In San Francisco, he was a recreation director, police officer and the first African-American sheriff. In 2001, he retired from the San Francisco City and County Youth Guidance Center after 14 years.
Brown is survived by his son Roy Brown (Heidi); his granddaughter Olivia; his nieces, Donna Hubbard (Bernard Hubbard) and Linda Flenaugh; and also, June Mejias and Lisa Mejias.
