Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – Arkansas State men’s basketball head coach Ryan Pannone announced Thursday that NCAA and NBA champion Corey Brewer has joined the Red Wolves as an assistant coach.
The Portland, TN, native arrives in Jonesboro after spending six seasons as a coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. He joined the organization ahead of the 2020-21 season as a player development coach under Stan Van Gundy before being elevated to assistant coach on Willie Green’s staff in 2024-25.
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“Corey Brewer is a former 13-year NBA player and NBA assistant coach that won back-to-back national championships and an NBA championship,” said Pannone. “To add that kind of winner to our coaching staff is a great get for us. We were very fortunate to pick him up after losing Anthony Goods to the New Orleans Pelicans.
I got a chance to coach Corey for five years as an individual coach and then we were assistants together with the Pelicans, and when I dreamed of being a Division I head coach, Corey was someone I always envisioned to have on my staff because of his pedigree as a winner, player and as a human being.”
New Orleans ranked inside the top 10 for steals and blocks per game during both of his seasons as an assistant coach. The team averaged 8.5 steals and 5.2 blocks per game in 2024-25 and followed with 8.9 steals and 5.2 blocks one season later.
Brewer was the seventh overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and spent 13 seasons in the league. He averaged 8.7 points on a 42.5% clip over 819 appearances and 310 starts and was part of the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA championship team in 2010-11.
On April 11, 2014, Brewer scored a career-high 51 points and swiped six steals in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 112-110 win over the Houston Rockets. Only six players, including Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and Damian Lillard, have scored 50-plus points and posted six steals in an NBA game.
At the collegiate level he was a part of the 2005-06 and 2006-07 national championship teams at Florida and was named Most Outstanding Player at the 2007 Final Four after averaging 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in both games. One season prior, the 2006 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year also earned Final Four All-Tournament Team honors with averages of 15.0 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Brewer averaged 11.3 points alongside 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals over three seasons with the Gators. He received Freshman All-SEC recognition in 2004-05 and followed with First Team (2006-07) and Second Team (2004-05) All-SEC honors in his final campaigns.
Brewer was named TSSAA Class AA Mr. Basketball as a senior at Portland High School and earned McDonald’s All-American Team honors.
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