Dougherty Named TCU Men's Basketball Coach
3/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 25, 2002
Neil Dougherty has been named TCU's head men's basketball coach, TCU Athletics Director Eric Hyman announced today. He becomes the 18th men's basketball coach in TCU history. Terms of the contract were not released.
Dougherty, 40, has spent the past seven seasons at the University of Kansas working as an assistant coach under Roy Williams. His main duties have included recruiting, where he has helped Kansas sign eight McDonald's All-Americans during his tenure. Dougherty has also been responsible for scouting coordination and assisting with supervision of the academic progress of the Jayhawk players. Since joining the KU staff prior to the 1995-96 season, Kansas has averaged nearly 30 victories per season while winning four conference championships in seven years. The 2001-02 Jayhawks captured the NCAA Midwest Regional on Sunday, advancing to this week's Final Four.
"It is truly a privilege to recruit a person of Neil's caliber to TCU as our head men's basketball coach," said Hyman. "He brings to us a wealth of experience not only on the court but off of the court. He is a top recruiter for Kansas, currently the top seed in the Final Four, with Texas as one of his primary recruiting areas. He has a tremendous basketball background, playing for Coach K, coaching with Eddie Fogler at Vanderbilt and South Carolina and now coaching with Roy Williams at Kansas."
Dougherty came to Kansas after serving two stints under head coach Eddie Fogler at Vanderbilt and South Carolina. He worked four years as an assistant at Vanderbilt (1989-93) before serving two seasons in a similar capacity with the Gamecocks (1993-95).
Prior to his four-year stay at Vanderbilt, Dougherty worked as an assistant coach at Drake University during the 1988-89 campaign. He became acquainted with Fogler through Drake's competition with Fogler's Wichita State team in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Before his year at Drake, Dougherty coached four seasons at his alma mater, Cameron University in Oklahoma (1984-88). Cameron posted a 48-16 record in his final two years in Lawton, Okla. and captured the Lone Star Conference championship his final season on the staff.
Dougherty was born in Leavenworth, Kan. on April 14, 1961, and was a standout athlete at Leavenworth High School. He attended the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., his first two years of college. He was recruited and played one year for Mike Krzyzewski, Duke's current head coach. Dougherty started several games as a freshman and was a full-time starter as a sophomore. He transferred to Cameron University for his final two collegiate seasons. He started at guard as a junior and senior and helped Cameron win more than 25 games in each season. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in education from Cameron in 1984 and earned his master's degree in education at the University of Oklahoma in 1987.
Dougherty is married to the former Patti Bowles. They have three children: a daughter, Megan, and sons, Neil and Ryan. In addition, his sister, Lisa, is one of the top players in University of Kansas women's basketball history, scoring more than 1,000 career points for the Jayhawks in the 1980s.
Full Name: Cornelius Aaron Dougherty
Birthdate: April 14, 1961
Hometown: Leavenworth, Kansas
High School: Leavenworth
Wife: Patti
Children: Megan, Neil, Ryan
Education: Cameron University (B.A., 1984), University of Oklahoma (M.S., 1987)
Playing Experience: 1980-81 U.S. Military Academy, 1983-84 Cameron University
Coaching Experience: 1984-88 Cameron University, 1988-89 Drake, 1989-93 Vanderbilt, 1993-95 South Carolina, 1995-2002 Kansas
