A ‘Fashionable’ Duke Basketball Tradition

It's not absolutely clear when it first started. It was a mistake - a simple accident. At the time, it was more afterthought than anything.

But as mistakes go, this one was unique. It was a mistake that stuck with Al Brown.

Brown recalls it being 1997. If you wanted to narrow it down, it would have been Jan. 19 or Feb. 17.  That, Brown knows for sure, because it was on one of those days when his University of Tennessee women's basketball team, where he was an assistant coach, played Vanderbilt University.

One of those game days was the first time Brown wore a sweater on the sideline, and it wasn't the last.

"I used to wear a coat and tie, but I went to the game that night and forgot them," said Brown, who's coached at Duke since 2007. "I wore a sweater to the game and thought, 'this isn't too bad.' Nobody seems to care what an assistant coach wears anyway, so I figured I'll just start wearing sweaters."

And he did. White ones with horizontal stripes, sweaters featuring multi-colored checkers and many pullovers with pastel-hued highlights. For more than 15 years, basketball fans haven't been able to scan a sideline that features Brown and not spot his colorful, rather Bill Cosby-like sweaters.

"My husband and I have enjoyed seeing his choices throughout the years, but we also like adding to his collection," said Joanne P. McCallie, head coach for the women's basketball team who's worked alongside Brown for 10 years since their time together at Michigan State University. "We look for more elegant, classic colors or patterns - especially ones that aren't pastels or paisley."

With a stock of about 150 different sweaters, it can be difficult for Brown to find something new. Each year, he adds four or five new sweaters to his collection, which has a dedicated dresser in a closet at home. Per his own tradition, Brown never wears the same shirt twice in a single season so he can cycle through all his options.

Brown's desire to stay dapper came from his mother, Isabel, who always took pride in how she looked, he said.

"She always stressed appearance," Brown said. "Even when I was young, she wouldn't let me leave the house looking messy."

That's translated to Brown's everyday outfits. He admits it would be hard to catch him dressed differently from three standard ensembles - a suit/tie combo, polo shirt and dress pants or his famous game day getup, where he'll always wear a long-sleeve dress shirt or polo shirt underneath a colorful sweater.

"I love his sweaters and it's so cool that he has his own trademark," said Elizabeth Williams, a junior on the Duke women's basketball team. "He has so many colors and patterns that it makes it exciting to see what he's got coming up for the next game."

The trick to keep players and coaches guessing as to which sweater he'll wear next is easy, Brown said. He usually waits until the night before each game to sort through his collection and pull out the right shirt. One thing he does know, however, is that Blue Devil fans can count on seeing him with his familiar dress at every game.

"Unfortunately or fortunately, I have a tradition to uphold," Brown said with a laugh. "It's not a superstition, but it's something that's been created I have to live up to now."