Former All Euroleague Marcus Brown added to Murray State coaching staff

Murray State men’s basketball coach, Matt McMahon, announces two significant changes to his staff as Ronrico White has been promoted to assistant coach and MSU legend, Marcus Brown, returns to the program as the assistant to the head coach.

White joined the Racers in 2019 as director of player development and was a part of Murray State’s third consecutive OVC regular season championship in 2020.  Prior to his arrival in Murray, White was an assistant coach at Gardner-Webb where he helped lead the Bulldogs to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.  Before beginning his coaching career, White had a stellar playing career at Chattanooga.  He finished as the school’s 14th all-time leading scorer and ranks in the top 10 in assists, made 3-pointers, and free throws.  He graduated in 2014 From Chattanooga with a degree in business and communications.  His father, Tony, was an All-American guard at Tennessee and his brother, Tony, Jr. played at the College of Charleston.

“I am incredibly excited to hire Ronrico White as an assistant coach,” McMahon said. “I am very appreciative of Coach White’s hard work, commitment, and loyalty to our program during his time at Murray State.  He does a tremendous job of building relationships with our players and connecting with people.  He is an excellent teacher, terrific in player development, and will be a strong recruiter for the Racers.  Team culture and program fit are so important when building a coaching staff and Coach White will bring the character, positive energy, and work ethic needed to make a positive impact on our players, on and off the court.”

“I am forever indebted to Coach John Shulman for kick starting my coaching career,” White said. “Gifting me the chance to work for great people like Coach David Wilson and Coach Tim Craft. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first two years being a part of Racer Nation, and I would like to thank AD Kevin Saal and Coach Matt McMahon for the opportunity to transition into a new role for this prestigious program. This community has welcomed me with open arms since day one, and I cannot wait until they can fill the CFSB Center again this upcoming season. Murray State’s tradition speaks for itself and I cannot wait to add to it!”

Brown’s career at Murray State spanned from 1992-96.  He returns as a legend in Racer Nation, inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame in 2010 and receiving the ultimate honor, having his No. 5 retired in the rafters of the CFSB Center. Brown was a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year for Coach Scott Edgar and is the program’s third all-time leading scorer (2,236 points), first in steals (232) and first in single-game scoring with 45 points against Washington (MO) in 1995. Drafted by the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers, Brown made his name as a professional becoming the all-time leading American scorer (2,715 points) in Euro League history with playing stops over 14 seasons in France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lithuania and Russia.

Since his retirement from pro basketball, Brown has been coaching at his alma mater, West Memphis High School, taking over for legendary coach Larry Bray, whom Brown played for.

“I am absolutely thrilled to add Marcus Brown to our coaching staff,” McMahon said. “Marcus is one of the best players in Murray State history, an NBA draft pick, and one of the best players in Euro League history.  But this move is about hiring an outstanding basketball coach who will make a huge impact on our program.  Coach Brown knows how to build a championship culture and he will be an incredible mentor for our players.  He has a passion and pride for Murray State basketball that is unmatched.  Coach Brown will be involved in all areas of our program and I look forward to the opportunity to learn from him as well.  To bring one of the all-time great Racers back into the Murray State family is a special opportunity for our program.”

“I’m extremely humbled, blessed and excited about the opportunity to return to my alma mater,” Brown said. “I can’t wait to see the Murray faithful in the stands again and I am really looking forward to meeting the team, staff and others connected to the Racer family. I look forward to helping the program push forward, using my playing experiences, work ethic and passion to help our student-athletes continued success. I am very thankful to President Dr. Bob Jackson, AD Kevin Saal and Coach Matt McMahon for this opportunity.”

White and Brown complete Coach McMahon’s coaching staff that already includes assistant coach Tim Kaine, who enters his seventh season with the Racers and Casey Long who is in his fifth season at Murray State.

“I want to thank Kevin Saal, Dr. Jackson and our Human Resources department for their help in restructuring our coaching staff for the upcoming season. We are extremely excited about our 2021-22 team and cannot wait to be back in front of our great Racer fans this winter.”

The Racers are getting ready for the 97th season in program history in 2021-22 as they look for the program’s 28th Ohio Valley Conference championship and their 18th OVC Tournament championship in March at the Ford Center in Evansville.