Former NBA player and NC State standout Chucky Brown has filed a lawsuit against Saint Augustine’s University, an HBCU located in Raleigh, North Carolina, alleging breach of contract after he was terminated without full payment of his salary. Brown, who spent over a decade in the NBA and later transitioned into coaching, was hired by Saint Augustine’s in 2022 to lead the men’s basketball program under a three-year contract.
According to the lawsuit filed in Wake County District Court, Brown claims that Saint Augustine’s University agreed to pay him an annual salary of $80,000 through March 31, 2025, with additional incentives for postseason achievements. However, the HBCU decided to abruptly discontinue its men’s basketball program in 2024, along with other sports, without providing a cause for his termination or fully compensating him for the remaining term of his contract.
Brown’s complaint states that he is owed $23,076.86, representing unpaid salary from late December 2024 through the scheduled end of his contract in March 2025. He also seeks interest, legal fees, and any other relief the court deems appropriate. The lawsuit accuses the HBCU of breaching the terms of its agreement by terminating Brown without cause and failing to honor the full financial terms outlined in his employment contract.
The former NBA champion, who won a title with the Houston Rockets in 1995, has extensive coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels. His hiring was seen as a significant move for the HBCU, aiming to revive its once-proud basketball tradition. However, Saint Augustine’s financial struggles have been well-documented, culminating in the suspension of several athletic programs and ongoing accreditation challenges.
Saint Augustine’s University was suspended from CIAA competition during the 2024-2025 season, and SAU did not compete in men’s basketball.
As the case moves forward, it will add another chapter to the mounting challenges at Saint Augustine’s University, which once celebrated its rich athletic history but now finds itself fighting battles both on and off the court.