Eugene "Gene" Brown is a retired American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player. He was an All-American at the University of San Francisco

University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...

 and was a significant player on their undefeated 1956 NCAA championship team

1955–56 San Francisco Dons men's basketball team

The 1955–56 San Francisco Dons men's basketball team represented the University of San Francisco. The Dons ended the season undefeated, becoming the first NCAA basketball team to record a perfect season.-Roster:-NCAA basketball tournament:*Far West...

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Brown, a 6'2" guard from George Washington High School

George Washington High School (San Francisco)

George Washington High School is a public high school in Richmond District, San Francisco, California. The school is a part of the San Francisco Unified School District...

 in San Francisco, played college basketball for coach Phil Woolpert

Phil Woolpert

Phil Woolpert was an American college basketball coach. He is best known for coaching the University of San Francisco Dons to two straight national championships in 1955 and 1956....

 at the University of San Francisco. Brown was a key reserve for the Dons' 1955–56

1955–56 NCAA men's basketball season

-Major rule changes:Beginning in 1955–56, the following rules changes were implemented:* The free-throw lane was increased from 6 feet to 12 feet.* The two-shot penalty in the last three minutes of the game was eliminated...

 team, which went undefeated and won their second straight NCAA championship. Coming off the bench for most of the season, Brown was inserted into the starting lineup in the 1956 NCAA tournament

1956 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

-Midwest Region:-West Region:-Far West Region:-Final Four:-Notes:* Canisius's first-round victory over the second-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack, considered by many to be among the top ten upsets in tournament history, set a record for most overtime periods in a Division I Men's tournament...

 after star guard K. C. Jones

K. C. Jones

K. C. Jones is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. K. C. Jones is his full name.-Playing career:...

 was declared ineligible. Brown made the most of his opportunity, scoring 16 points in the NCAA championship game against Iowa

Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball

The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They currently play in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with the school's women's basketball, wrestling, and...

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Brown started his last two years as the Dons returned to the 1957 Final Four

1957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1957, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Kansas City, Missouri...

, despite losing national player of the year Bill Russell

Bill Russell

William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...

. Brown led the team in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game. He again led the team in scoring as a senior (14.2 per game) and was named a third team All-American

NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

The NCAA Men's Basketball All-American teams are honorary teams made up of those NCAA basketball players voted the best in the country by a variety of organizations.-History:...

 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches

National Association of Basketball Coaches

The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...

 and an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press

Associated Press

The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

.

After his basketball career ended, Brown went into careers working with young people in sports and law enforcement. He was San Francisco's first African-American sheriff

Sheriff

A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....

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