By Damien Pierce
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
When TCU coach Neil Dougherty strolls into Kansas' Phog Allen Fieldhouse tonight, he figures he'll have to ask someone for directions around the historic arena for the first time in his life.
There is, apparently, one room in the building that the former Kansas assistant never found.
"I've spent a lot of time inside that gym," Dougherty said. "But I don't have a clue where the visitors' locker room is located."
Dougherty never needed to know in his seven seasons as an assistant under former Kansas coach Roy Williams.
Now, though, the third-year TCU coach will walk into the gym he views as a college basketball mecca as a visitor for the first time in his life.
Dougherty will return to Allen Fieldhouse for the first time since he left the school to become the head coach at TCU when the Frogs play the No. 2 Jayhawks at 8 tonight on ESPN.
The coach was a member of four Big 12 conference championship teams and helped guide the Jayhawks to the 2002 Final Four. He took over at TCU in 2002, and has since led the Horned Frogs to a 26-38 record.
Several family members and friends have been ringing Dougherty's phone for months in hopes of receiving tickets for his homecoming.
"I've told anyone that I am leaving tickets for that they have to wear purple for one night," Dougherty said. "Obviously, I'm looking forward to it because as a native of Kansas it's exciting to be in the Fieldhouse for any event. I'll probably sit on that old bench again before the game."
Dougherty's office pretty much explains his passion for Kansas basketball. Dougherty has photos of Williams -- whom he only refers to as "Coach" -- on his desk along with several Kansas game balls.
Hanging on the wall are photos of former and current Jayhawks players, a framed Kansas Final Four T-shirt and a painting of a Horned Frog revealing a Kansas T-shirt underneath his jacket.
"I found that on my porch in Lawrence when I returned from Fort Worth after accepting the TCU job," Dougherty said. "A student there made it for me, and it pretty much explains how I feel about Kansas. I'm a Horned Frog, but I still care about the Jayhawks."
Dougherty still watches the Jayhawks and a list of former recruits that includes Wayne Simien, Keith Langford and Aaron Miles. He still keeps in touch with his former players during the summer.
Miles said seeing Dougherty leave for TCU was tough, but the Kansas players are excited about seeing him again. The Jayhawks hugged Dougherty after defeating the Horned Frogs 85-66 in Fort Worth last season and they will all likely share hugs again tonight.
"I love Coach Dougherty," Miles said. "He means as much to me as any coach who has been here. He was always real cool and Mrs. [Patti] Dougherty always made cookies for us. The selfish part of us didn't want to see him leave, but it was a good move for him to become a head coach."
As a youngster, Dougherty would sometimes sneak into the Fieldhouse for games and was an all-state guard at Leavenworth (Kan.) high school. He played at Army for two seasons under current Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and later transferred to Cameron University in Oklahoma.
After college, he took assistant coaching jobs at four universities before returning home to work under Williams in 1995. He hasn't made many trips to the Fieldhouse since leaving for TCU.
"He talked about returning a lot during the season, but he hasn't said much as the season has gone on," said Patti Dougherty, the coach's wife. "He's happy to be going home. He loves Allen Fieldhouse, and he thinks there's no better place to play."
Dougherty's time as a coach at Kansas also had an impact on his son, Neil Patrick Dougherty, who is a sophomore point guard at TCU. The younger Dougherty grew up listening to Williams and his father talk strategy in the Kansas huddle and hung around during practice.
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
When TCU coach Neil Dougherty strolls into Kansas' Phog Allen Fieldhouse tonight, he figures he'll have to ask someone for directions around the historic arena for the first time in his life.
There is, apparently, one room in the building that the former Kansas assistant never found.
"I've spent a lot of time inside that gym," Dougherty said. "But I don't have a clue where the visitors' locker room is located."
Dougherty never needed to know in his seven seasons as an assistant under former Kansas coach Roy Williams.
Now, though, the third-year TCU coach will walk into the gym he views as a college basketball mecca as a visitor for the first time in his life.
Dougherty will return to Allen Fieldhouse for the first time since he left the school to become the head coach at TCU when the Frogs play the No. 2 Jayhawks at 8 tonight on ESPN.
The coach was a member of four Big 12 conference championship teams and helped guide the Jayhawks to the 2002 Final Four. He took over at TCU in 2002, and has since led the Horned Frogs to a 26-38 record.
Several family members and friends have been ringing Dougherty's phone for months in hopes of receiving tickets for his homecoming.
"I've told anyone that I am leaving tickets for that they have to wear purple for one night," Dougherty said. "Obviously, I'm looking forward to it because as a native of Kansas it's exciting to be in the Fieldhouse for any event. I'll probably sit on that old bench again before the game."
Dougherty's office pretty much explains his passion for Kansas basketball. Dougherty has photos of Williams -- whom he only refers to as "Coach" -- on his desk along with several Kansas game balls.
Hanging on the wall are photos of former and current Jayhawks players, a framed Kansas Final Four T-shirt and a painting of a Horned Frog revealing a Kansas T-shirt underneath his jacket.
"I found that on my porch in Lawrence when I returned from Fort Worth after accepting the TCU job," Dougherty said. "A student there made it for me, and it pretty much explains how I feel about Kansas. I'm a Horned Frog, but I still care about the Jayhawks."
Dougherty still watches the Jayhawks and a list of former recruits that includes Wayne Simien, Keith Langford and Aaron Miles. He still keeps in touch with his former players during the summer.
Miles said seeing Dougherty leave for TCU was tough, but the Kansas players are excited about seeing him again. The Jayhawks hugged Dougherty after defeating the Horned Frogs 85-66 in Fort Worth last season and they will all likely share hugs again tonight.
"I love Coach Dougherty," Miles said. "He means as much to me as any coach who has been here. He was always real cool and Mrs. [Patti] Dougherty always made cookies for us. The selfish part of us didn't want to see him leave, but it was a good move for him to become a head coach."
As a youngster, Dougherty would sometimes sneak into the Fieldhouse for games and was an all-state guard at Leavenworth (Kan.) high school. He played at Army for two seasons under current Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and later transferred to Cameron University in Oklahoma.
After college, he took assistant coaching jobs at four universities before returning home to work under Williams in 1995. He hasn't made many trips to the Fieldhouse since leaving for TCU.
"He talked about returning a lot during the season, but he hasn't said much as the season has gone on," said Patti Dougherty, the coach's wife. "He's happy to be going home. He loves Allen Fieldhouse, and he thinks there's no better place to play."
Dougherty's time as a coach at Kansas also had an impact on his son, Neil Patrick Dougherty, who is a sophomore point guard at TCU. The younger Dougherty grew up listening to Williams and his father talk strategy in the Kansas huddle and hung around during practice.
