Brown Expected to Coach 76ers

Larry Brown will be named coach of the Philadelphia 76ers today, The Associated Press reported.

Team sources confirmed that Brown, 56, has agreed to become the 76ers’ sixth coach in the past seven seasons. He will replace Johnny Davis, who was fired the day after the team finished 22-60.

Vice President Dave Coskey said the team would have “a major announcement” today at 11 a.m. EDT, but declined to confirm it involves the hiring of Brown, who resigned as coach of the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Although Brown wanted some say in the team’s personnel decisions, sources indicated he will not have the general manager’s job.

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Kentucky Coach Rick Pitino met with his players Sunday night, but didn’t tell them whether he’s going to accept a lucrative offer from the Boston Celtics, according to several reports.

Pitino told the Boston Globe that the meeting, which lasted more than an hour, “was very emotional . . . on both sides.”

Pitino said he told his players he would make a decision today or Tuesday.

Antoine Walker, a former Kentucky player now with the Celtics, said that after speaking with Pitino on Sunday he got the impression the coach will take the Celtic job. Walker was shooting baskets in the Kentucky gym when Pitino arrived for the meeting with his players.

WKKT, a Lexington, Ky. television station, said the Celtics’ offer to Pitino was increased to more than $70 million over 10 years and 3% ownership in the team.