McMahon promotes White, adds Racer legend in Brown
The departure of Murray State men’s basketball assistant coach Shane Nichols to Radford University — while familial and fantastic — left Racer skipper Matt McMahon with a tough position to fill.
So, naturally, he promoted from within by moving Ronrico White from director of player development — and then he snagged Racer Hall-of-Famer Marcus Brown, who returns to campus as an assistant to the head coach.
For as much buzz as MSU’s 2021 recruiting class has generated — Eastern Illinois’ Jordan Skipper-Brown, South Carolina’s Trae Hannibal, Davidson’s Carter Collins, Olney Central’s Elijah Farr and Southern’s DJ Burns — McMahon’s tabbing of White and Brown has Murray fans and those closely associated with the program beside themselves.
“I am forever indebted to Coach John Shulman for kick starting my coaching career. 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!”
Ronrico White, MSU men’s basketball assistant
White has been with the Racers since 2019 after a successful playing career at Chattanooga, and a strong tenure as an assistant at Gardner-Webb.
“I am incredibly excited to hire Ronrico White as an assistant coach,” McMahon said, in a written statement. “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.”
Brown, meanwhile, needs little — if any — introduction to Murray. His No. 5 dangles from the CFSB Center rafters…long retired after an electric Racer career from 1992-1996. The two-time OVC Player of the Year (1995, 1996) is the school’s third-leading scorer in program history (2,236 points), he’s first in steals (232) and still owns the single-game scoring record for MSU (45 points, 1995).
He was part of that first recruiting class from Scott Edgar and Kenny Roth in 1992, after both eyed the speedster while serving Nolan Richardson at the University of Arkansas. He’s got an OVC high-jump championship, too, and likely possesses a burning itch at some payback after two excruciating losses in OVC championship games.
Drafted by the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers in 1996 (21 games played, 3.9 ppg), Brown also spent six games with the Detroit Pistons in 2000 (1.7 ppg). He’s mostly known, however, as an overseas terror, where he played in Europe until he was 36 years old in the 2010-11 season.
Playing for Italy, Turkey, Lithuania, Russia, Spain, Israel and France at various levels of difficulty, the West Memphis, Arkansas native retired as — and still remains — the career American leader in points scored for the EuroLeague (2,739 points).
A 2010 Murray State Hall of Fame member and 2013 entry into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, Brown’s connections to both the Memphis delta and European basketball brings unique angles to the Racers staff — only deepening the recruiting pools where annual talent is rife and plentiful.
Brown followed up his playing retirement with a new career: coaching at his Alma Mater of West Memphis High School.
“I am absolutely thrilled to add Marcus Brown to our coaching staff,” McMahon said, in a written statement. “Marcus is one of the best players in Murray State history, an NBA draft pick, and one of the best players in EuroLeague 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. 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.”
Marcus Brown, MSU men’s basketball assistant to the coach
for those who inquired. 