DALLAS -- Larry Brown is returning to college to get back into coaching. The 71-year-old Hall of Fame coach was hired Thursday at SMU. It is his first college job in nearly a quarter century, and comes at a struggling program that is headed to the Big East after next season. "Its a challenge like everything. The greater the challenge, the greater the opportunity," Brown told The Associated Press by phone from his home in Philadelphia. Brown, the only coach to win an NBA championship and NCAA title, hasnt coached since leaving the Charlotte Bobcats in December 2010 after the NBAs teams 9-19 start. His contract there was to run through the end of the current season. SMU hasnt won an NCAA tournament game since 1988, the year Brown led Kansas to the national championship in his last season as a college coach. "Its not like I havent been involved. I live in Villanova, Ive been to Kentuckys practices the last two years, Kansas practices, Marylands practices and Villanova, Ive probably seen them practice 50 times a year," Brown said, when asked about returning to the college level. "People have to understand, youre coaching college kids in the NBA, so Ive found out kids want to be taught, they want to be coached, they want to get better," he said. "I really think the fact that Ive had a background in both areas is going to help me." The Mustangs fired Matt Doherty last month after six seasons. "Larry Brown is one of the top coaches in the history of the game," SMU athletic director Steve Orsini said. "He is a legend and has made every team he has ever coached a winner. As we transition into the nations top basketball conference, the Big East, his leadership will be invaluable." Details of Browns deal, including the length of the contract, werent released by the private school. Brown said he wasnt ready to discuss who his assistant coaches would be. He said he has had plenty of inquiries about joining his staff. "Thats the hardest thing I think," he said. "I dont have enough jobs to help people that have been great to me. Its been pretty painful in that respect." SMU will be Browns 14th job in a four-decade coaching career. Browns first coaching job was at Davidson in 1972, though he didnt coach a game there before going to the ABA and then the NBA. He coached at UCLA (1979-81) and Kansas (1983-88) and was the coach of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team that had a disappointing bronze-medal finish. SMU last went to the NCAA tournament in 1993, five years after beating Notre Dame in a first-round game. Doherty was fired March 13 with one year left on the deal for the former North Carolina coach and player after he went 80-109 in six seasons. The Mustangs lost 11 of their last 14 games, including a 47-28 home loss to UAB on Feb. 15. SMU has plans for a $40 million renovation of Moody Coliseum and built a new practice facility during Dohertys stint. The hiring of Brown came as SMUs search was going into its sixth week. Among other candidates the Mustangs talked with were Marquettes Buzz Williams, Long Beach States Dan Monson and Rick Majerus from Saint Louis. Brown visited SMU on Monday and Tuesday, long after showing interest in the job. "I was confident it was going to get done, I had phenomenal visit there. The people treated me great," he said. "(SMU football coach) June Jones was an advocate, hes been trying to help me for a month, not give up and to understand this is a great place for me and I never doubted that." Brown has a reputation for impressive turnarounds and often messy departures from teams. When Michael Jordon hired him in Charlotte, Brown had been out of coaching for two years after going only 23-59 in his only season in New York and being let go by the Knicks. Brown has held a record nine NBA jobs, He was 1,098-904 (.548 winning percentage) with Denver, New Jersey, San Antonio, the Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana, Philadelphia, Detroit, the Knicks and Charlotte. He took all of those teams but New York to the playoffs. Add in his four seasons coaching in the ABA, and his 1,327 victories put him nine shy from passing Don Nelson for the most all-time wins. Brown led Detroit to an NBA championship in 2004, and the Pistons got back to the finals in 2005 before losing to San Antonio in seven games. Even during that second Eastern Conference championship season in Detroit, reports linked Brown to jobs in New York, Los Angeles and Denver. The Cleveland Cavaliers had talked with Brown about becoming their president of basketball operations after getting permission from the Pistons. Within weeks after that season ended, Brown and the Pistons reached a settlement on the final three years of his contract that left him free to coach another team. He then went to the Knicks. His longest tenure with any team was six seasons with Philadelphia. He had left the 76ers with two years left on his contract to go to Detroit. Jerseys Cheap . The Eskimos (5-8) lost all five games they played in the month, including Fridays 39-15 setback to the Calgary Stampeders (8-5). Cheap Jerseys China . The Heat centre scored 10 of his 30 points early in the first quarter to silence the Toronto fans as Miami defeated the Raptors 113-101 on Friday night. http://www.cheapauthenticjerseys.us.com/ . The Winnipeg native is being inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. Hughes competed in winter and summer Olympics as a speedskater and cyclist, winning a total of six medals. Cheap Jerseys Authentic . He had great success against them during his days in the NL. And he really enjoys Wrigley Field. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping .J. -- The New York Jets have downgraded wide receiver Jeremy Kerley and linebacker Garrett McIntyre from doubtful to out for the teams game against the Ravens at Baltimore. BERLIN -- Schalke entered the Bundesligas winter break on the verge of crisis following a 3-1 defeat at home to Freiburg on Saturday. The Gelsenkirchen-based clubs sixth game in succession without a win increases the pressure on Dutch coach Huub Stevens, who has seen his side tumble from second place to seventh within a month. "Its not a good situation. Our expectations are coming short," said Schalke general manager Horst Heldt, who was asked if Stevens would be in charge for Tuesdays German Cup tie against Mainz. "Just after the loss I need to get my thoughts together," Heldt added. "I have to let it sink in first. Well have answers when there are answers." Schalke even opened the scoring, following a long ball over the Freiburg defence in the 20th minute, when Lewis Holtby crossed for Jefferson Farfan. But Jan Rosenthal equalized six minutes later by shooting through two Schalke defenders into the far corner. Then Joel Matip completely miscued an attempted clearance and Jonathan Schmid raced onto the ball before coolly slotting past Timo Hildebrand in the 32nd. Another defensive mistake led to Freiburgs third in the 61st, when Christoph Metzelders pass was intercepted and quickly played to Rosenthal, who struck crisply first time to the far corner. Schalke tried but struggled to break down the resolute Freiburg defence. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar illustrated the home sides frustration by picking up a needless yellow card for a petulant shove on Julian Schuster. Rosenthal was sent off with 10 minutes remaining for two yellow cards in quick succession, and Huntelaar followed him off a minute later after earning another. "I have a contract until the end of the season," Stevens said. "Ive fulfilled the first year and I aim to fulfil the second one. If I feel Im no longer wanted by the players then thats something else, but I dont feel that." Earlier, league top-scorer Stefan Kiessling scored two goals and set up another as Bayer Leverkusen beat Hamburger SV 3-0 to close the gap on leader Bayern Munich to nine points. "To reach second place with so many good games shows how strong this team is, also mentally," Kiessling said. "But first its the winter break and then there are still 17 hard games waiting for us." Eintracht Frankfurt won 2-0 at Wolffsburg, Mainz came from behind to beat Stuttgart 3-1, bottom sides Greuther Fuerth and Augsburg drew 1-1, and Fortuna Duesseldorf beat visiting Hannover 2-1, with Denmark international Ken Ilso scoring the winner from a free kick with seven minutes remaining.dddddddddddd. Kiessling took advantage of poor defending to open the scoring from close range in the 26th minute, and set up Andre Schuerrle to score in off the post 10 minutes later. Kiessling scored his 12th goal of the season in the 66th, when he held off a weak challenge from Heiko Westermann to reach Bernd Lenos long kick out and lift it over the unfortunate Rene Adler. "After such a game you have to ask each and every one of us whether hes done all he can for success," said Adler, who was making his first return to the club where he played for 12 seasons. "Because what weve played here, that shouldnt happen. Sure, Leverkusen is a strong team, but weve shown in many games that we can do much better." Alexander Meier headed Frankfurt into a 12th-minute lead in Wolfsburg when he connected with Pirmin Schweglers free kick at the far post. Wolfsburg midfielder Josue earned a direct red four minutes later, and from the resulting free kick it got worse for the home side when Takashi Inui made it 2-0. "I would have preferred it if my team thought about defence first," Wolfsburg interim coach Lorenz-Guenther Koestner said. "You have to defend better than that against such a strong team." Frankfurt moved ahead of Borussia Dortmund, 12 points behind Bayern, though the defending champion can reclaim third place on goal difference with a win at Hoffenheim on Sunday. In Mainz, Stuttgart striker Martin Harnik headed home in the 48th, but Nicolai Mueller equalized with a looping shot seven minutes later. Mueller produced a fantastic chip over Sven Ulreich before heading the ball to the empty net in the 71st, and Elkin Soto decided the matter with an unstoppable shot to the top corner in injury time. Neither Fuerth nor Augsburg will be happy after their scrappy draw, in which Sascha Moelders scored for Augsburg in the ninth, and Lasse Sobiech equalized an hour later. Fuerth defender Mergim Mavraj was sent off in the 76th, and Augsburgs Giovanni Sio followed in the 85th. Both sides are 10 points adrift of safety. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '