ChiefsPlanet - KU RIP Coach Dougherty

Ex-KU assistant, Leavenworth native Dougherty dies

Star News Services

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AP file photo
Neil Dougherty

Leavenworth native and former Kansas assistant basketball coach Neil Dougherty has died.

Dougherty died earlier this week while running in Indianapolis. According to reports, Dougherty went missing Tuesday and was not identified until today. Dougherty, 50, is survived by his wife, Patti, and his three children, Megan, Neil and Ryan.

"My heart goes out to the Dougherty family," former KU player Nick Bradford said on his Twitter account. "He is the reason that I played for the University of Kansas."

Dougherty, who grew up rooting for KU, was hired as a Jayhawks assistant by Roy Williams in 1995. Dougherty held that post until shortly after KU's run to the 2002 Final Four, when he was hired as the head coach at Texas Christian. He went 75-106 in six seasons at TCU and was fired in 2008.
Dougherty went on to work as the director of athlete and coach programs for iHoops, a joint venture between the NBA and NCAA to help promote youth basketball initiatives. At the time of his death, Dougherty was in Indianapolis working for Ihoops.

He attended Leavenworth High. After graduation, he played two years at Army under coach Mike Krzyzewski and finished his career at Cameron in Lawton, Okla. Dougherty started his coaching career at Cameron and after four seasons moved to Drake. That's where he got to know Eddie Fogler, who was coaching for Missouri Valley Conference rival Wichita State. Fogler and Williams were former North Carolina assistants

Before coming to Kansas, Dougherty worked under Fogler for four seaons at Vanderbilt and two at South Carolina. Dougherty was the first Kansas native to work as a KU assistant under Williams.

Funeral arrangements are pending, according to Ihoops, which issued this statement on its website:

"It is with great sadness that we share that our colleague Neil Dougherty passed away earlier this week during a run in Indianapolis

Serving the game he loved, Neil has been a driving force and true visionary in the path of building iHoops from its earliest days

Neil's commitment to assuring young people experience the joy and satisfaction of the game as he did will empower our focus going forward.
A truly remarkable man, coach, father, grandfather, husband, son, friend and colleague, he will be missed by all and his legacy will impact generations to come."