Once starring in Reynolds Coliseum for NC State men’s basketball, Chucky Brown is back with the Pack.
Basketball has taken Brown all around the nation, playing for 12 different NBA teams before coaching at the high school, college and NBA Development League levels. However, Brown is taking on a new challenge as the radio analyst for NC State men’s basketball. Brown is already embracing and enjoying the new role of telling the program’s history as it unfolds, live on the radio.
“It was fun, sellout crowd. Sitting there I got a headset on, but I could hear everything Wade was saying,” Brown said. “It was fun man, I kinda see what it’s like for a fan to come and sit courtside.”
With former basketball radio analyst Tony Haynes announcing his retirement this year, Brown made sense as the natural addition to the broadcast. Despite not actively seeking out the position, Brown’s resume was too good for NC State to pass up. With national experience at Compass Media Networks and occasionally filling in for NC State’s broadcasts, Brown is able to step in full-time and shine from the jump.
“I said I’d give it a try, I had enjoyed doing it before,” Brown said. “I knew Tony was retiring, but I’d never approached anybody about coming on to take on the role or anything like that. But I got the call and was like, ‘Well shoot, yeah, I’d love to do it.’ You think about that, but you never think that you’re on anybody’s radar.”
Joining Brown on the broadcast is Matt Chazanow, the official play-by-play voice for men’s basketball. Chazanow is already noticing Brown’s talent on the mic early in the season, making the transition enjoyable for both fans and the broadcast team.
“He’s awesome, he’s a pro that comes in with a lot of experience,” Chazanow said. “He’s so comfortable in his own skin, so pleasant as a person and obviously a brilliant basketball mind, his whole life has been basketball.”
Brown’s experience is already quickly emerging, both during his time as a broadcaster with Compass Media Networks and especially as a former coach.
“[Brown] recognized kind of a deficiency in a defensive rotation setup that coach Wade had that they were really struggling with South Carolina,” Chazanow said. “It was like this guy clearly [knows the ball], not that it’s any surprise that he knows the ball, it was a validation to that.”
Now, with a couple games under his belt, Brown is enthusiastic to help tell the Wolfpack’s story. It’s never been a more exciting time for Wolfpack fans with the arrival of head coach Will Wade and a revamped roster. The new Pack has several opportunities ahead that excite Brown.
“I’m looking forward to all the games, with the new energy we have, the team that we have,” Brown said. “Of course the Carolina game, Duke game, Kansas just to call top teams, looking to see how we fare against them.”
With his experience playing at NC State, Brown knows exactly what it means for players to compete in these high level matchups and the support they’ll receive from NC State fans. Playing during some of NC State’s best years when Jim Valvano led the Wolfpack as head coach, Brown’s unique perspective is one that is incredibly valuable to telling this team’s story.
“This is a good place when you’re winning, this is a great place to be,” Brown said. “Being around other colleges I try to tell people, and I’m not just being a homer, NC State is a little different around here. People want to see you, you don’t just get to come here and get to coach and not mingle with the fans … These fans feel really attached to the university and that’s great.”
There’s never been this much synergy between the fans, the administration and the team since the 1980s. Bringing a Wolfpack legend to NC State’s radio broadcast team further shows that times are changing in Raleigh. Now the story of new heroes being born in Raleigh will be told by a proven legend, Chucky Brown.
