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Drexler resigns at Houston Famed alum leaves after 2 years to spend time with family
Posted: Friday March 31, 2000 02:43 AM
HOUSTON (AP) -- University of Houston basketball coach Clyde Drexler resigned Thursday, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. UH athletic director Chet Gladchuk says Drexler's been thinking about quitting for some time. "He's very committed to his family and children and with time demands he was away from his family. It got to the point that he needs to break away." Drexler returned to the Cougars in 1998, hoping to return the school to the basketball prominence it enjoyed in the early 1980s when Drexler was a member of the famed Phi Slama Jama teams that went to the Final Four three straight years. Drexler was a member of the first two of those teams. But in his first coaching stint, he went 10-17 and this past season was 9-22. "He jumpstarted some things we asked him to do," Gladchuk said, crediting Drexler with bringing alumni back to the campus and improving recruiting.
"There was no other agenda, simply that he had 20 years on the road and just wants to watch his children grow up." "We were very competitive this past year," Gladchuk added. "We've taken a giant step forward. We had a great recruiting class this year. "What we've got to do now is capitalize on that and make sure it moves forward." Drexler played most of his 15-year pro career with the Portland Trailblazers. He was traded to his hometown Houston Rockets in February 1995 and was instrumental that year in leading the Rockets to their second consecutive NBA title. He ended his pro career after the 1998 season as one of three players in league history to get 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 6,000 assists. "He's been soul-searching since the end of the season," Gladchuk said. "I thought it had stabilized. He said everybody asked how he was feeling about the job and it's been fine. "But the issues I've mentioned have been weighing on his mind.
In all honesty, I thought it was all OK."
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