Dee Brown named Illinois' special assistant to director of athletics

University of Illinois Director of Athletics Mike Thomas announced Wednesday that former Illinois basketball All-American Dee Brown will join his staff for the summer as Special Assistant to the Director of Athletics.

"Dee brings an enthusiasm for the Fighting Illini that is second to none," Thomas said in a school release. "His experiences as a student-athlete on campus and in the community, his successful pro career, and now his returning to campus to give back to the Fighitng Illini speaks volumes about the positive time that he had here.

Brown, the 2005 Sporting News National Player of the Year and winner of the 2006 Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard, is scheduled to assume the new position on July 1 and will work with the DIA until he travels overseas to play his final season of professional basketball during the upcoming 2015-16 season.

His duties will include representing the Director of Athletics and Illinois Athletics at a variety of campus and off-campus functions and meetings, and relationship building with campus administrators and local and regional business leaders and donors. Additional aspects will include outreach efforts and fundraising.

"Dee will make our student-athletes and all of our teams and programs better on many fronts," Thomas said. "It?s a great day for Illinois Athletics."

Brown?s duties also will entail assisting in the recruiting process for many sports in accordance with NCAA rules, along with serving as a mentor for current student-athletes in all sports and developing and growing successful relationships with former Fighting Illini.

"Mike has a vision for Illinois Athletics and a plan to realize it," Brown said. "I?m truly honored to be a part of his vision and to begin working with him on several projects. My role is not just about me as a former basketball player, it?s about giving back to the best school in the country that has given me so much as a student and as an athlete. I may have left Illinois physically when I graduated, but I never left it in my heart and now I have the chance to be back in Orange and Blue. This is a great day and what I hope will be the beginning of my career off the court!"

Read full FightingIllini.com release.