Charlotte Names Larry Brown New Coach

Today, Larry Brown was named coach of the Charlotte NBA franchise. Michael Jordan, who owns part of the Charlotte franchise, offered the job to Brown. And that's hardly a surprise: Larry Brown played basketball for Dean Smith at North Carolina in the late 1950's and early 1960's, and Jordan -- perhaps the most famous Tar Heel of all time -- is notorious for favoring members of the Tar Heel "family" in his dealings as an NBA executive.

But, North Carolina loyalties aside, Jordan made an excellent choice by hiring the 67 year old Brown. Brown is widely regarded as a great basketball coach. But he's equally notorious for his habit of job-hopping. Charlotte will be the 10th professional team that Brown has coached. As the Charlotte Observer explains:

"After playing point guard for Dean Smith at North Carolina, Brown has a career record of 1,010-800 in 23 NBA seasons that has included stops with the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks."

And if Brown is known for being a great, if nomadic basketball coach, he's also known for being difficult to get along with. At least one ESPN scribe predicts a rocky road ahead with regard to Brown's and Jordan's professional relationship.