HOUSTON -- University of Houston coach Clyde Drexler resigned Thursday, saying he wants to spend more time with his family. Drexler retired from the NBA's Houston Rockets two years ago to coach at his alma mater. Drexler and Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon were teammates on the University of Houston "Phi Slama Jama" teams in the early 1980s that reached the NCAA finals. The Rockets last month retired Drexler's No. 22. "The time away from home has been difficult," Drexler said. "Despite my enthusiasm for the job, the university and the student-athletes, I need to reprioritize my lifestyle so that I can spend more time with my family. "... After 20 continuous seasons, I have simply concluded my family needs to come first. The day-to-day rigors and demands of this profession take me from them, and at this point I want to watch my children grow." Why is it so many coaches use the "family" theory and end up in TV or someother thing that takes time away from their family anyways? I don't know. But I wish the man luck. ------------------ Live Rocketball. Breathe Rocketball. Die with Rocketball. [This message has been edited by Almu (edited March 30, 2000).]
Yes. Very dissapointing. I think we need somebody with a bigger name than Elvin Hayes. He's been long forgotten by the kids. And unfortunately, this is less about coaching than it is about recruitment. Drexler had a huge following. That's what we need again. That was clear. We need to go out and get Rick Pittino or Barkely, or Olajuwon. Somebody who the kids look up too. I know Olajuwon doesn't want to do it, but I think he should re-consider. It would be the right thing to do and the job would be his. It's time to get back to Phi SLamma Jamma. I feel bad for the recruits. http://www.uhcougars.com/news/20000330/bko/20000330.drexlerresigns.html ------------------ humble, but hungry. [This message has been edited by PhiSlammaJamma (edited March 30, 2000).]
There goes the hopes of UH regaining its glory. Alton Ford, Gee Gervin, George Williams and a few other players all came to UH because Drexler was there. It'll be sad to watch the team take a turn for the worse, especially if Alton Ford goes elsewhere, or Willimas transfers.
I was so pissed when I heard this earlier. I can't believe Clyde is leaving already! PSJ: I had this same conversation with a coworker earlier. I suggested Elvin Hayes, but also stated that the "short attention span generation" doesn't remember how great he was. Also, I just don't see dream as a coach. ------------------ - hoopjunkie "when you come in da HOOD... things change."
I dont think that Dream would make a good coach. PSJ I dont want barkley to coach that's the last thing we need a team full of Big Mouth, Over weight, rebounding machines. ------------------ ~John~ "If you make it idiot proof they will make a better idiot." JohnyRocket's Fan Site
UH fans should be glad Drexler's gone. I have a suspicion his whining nature became combative with some of his players. I read several quotes this year where he was blaming his players and saying only Gervin is worth anything. Plus, Almu is right. When a coach uses the family "excuse", they are not effective and know they should just get out. Come-on...like basketball players really have exorbitant schedules non-conducive to family...compared to say...a politician. I hear a lot of politicians retiring for family at age 37, for rigors of travel, etc. They both have 3-months paid vacation for godsakes. ------------------ The farther the Rockets move down the standings, the farther I move down the bleachers. [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited March 30, 2000).]
replacements? Calvin Murphy? Clem Haskins? Otis Birdsong? Don Cheaney? Eddie Johnson? Derek Harper? John Lucas? George Gervin? Moses Malone? Ralph Sampson? Robert Reid? Joe Dumars? Nate McMillan? Ricky Pierce? Michael Young? Bill Berry? Robert Barr? [This message has been edited by outlaw (edited March 30, 2000).]
good luck to clyde what can i say i love the guy. i just hope alton ford etc dont feel let down because most of them are only going there because clyde was going to be the coach. clyde is a great man and nicest sports athlete i've ever met. good luck to him. i think its awesome he wants to spend time with his family. he has always been a real family guy and after the tough nba career he should have probably taken some time off to spend with them. i think this is far from the end of drexler and he would probably coach again after some time with family. he should have taken some time off after basketball before getting so involved again ------------------ Shane "Save Our Rockets" "Life without basketball in Houston........without an arena that is what it will be"
the family thing isn't an excuse. i always thought it was until my friend played minor league baseball and true they get months off each year but during the season you never get to see your family especially if playing or coaching in another city ------------------ Shane "Save Our Rockets" "Life without basketball in Houston........without an arena that is what it will be"
Rocket Fan, I can rattle off dozens of professions with the same issues of travel...and/or no time for family. Besides, you minor league friend didn't have millions of dollars to make life simpler. At best, Drexler is just saying he wants to retire and enjoy his bank roll. But that's one odd way to say it. Why not just say you are ready to relax. Many players/coach say that. "Time for me to retire and enjoy life." By comparing that attitude with the Ainge and Drexler quotes, maybe you can understand why I consider it either an excuse or an admission of guilt for being a bad father/husband no matter what the job situation is. btw: Ainge did say he was a poor father and needed to make up for it by retiring early while his son was still young (he's 16 and in the house). ------------------ The farther the Rockets move down the standings, the farther I move down the bleachers.
It's truly amazing how many people at UH are excited over Drexler's "resignation." From the small sample of people I talked to, if the ratio would hold up among the total number of people there, 95% are happy to see Clyde glide right on out. I got word about this sometime around 10:00, when I was walking to class and a friend of mine, who has had a lot of contact with Clyde, ran up to me with the biggest smile on his face and told me what was going on. I've seen this guy happy before, but not this happy. He's a graduating senior to top it off - it's not like he was ever going to have to deal with him again. Anyhoo, the rumor around campus is that it was a mutual resignation between Drexler and UH. Translated to English: Drexler could quit or UH could fire him. As I'm sure most of you know, he has not had a "friendly" relationship with almost everyone there. The players aren't thrilled with him, especially after he publicly trashed them. The staff, well, the staff just didn't like him. The students for the most part didn't give a hoot - I think Clyde was actually offended that people weren't running up to him every two seconds to get his autograph. Heck, this is a campus where we constantly see the likes of Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell, Hakeem Olajuwon, and if you want to get wierd, Dominique Sachse on a daily basis. I never cared that Clyde was standing behind me at Pizza Hut, desperately wanting the last cheese pizza, and I took it (true story). I looked behind me, saw him, and went on - as everyone else did. To be honest, he was starting to remind me a lot of - dare I say - Scottie Pippen. I'm sure there are 4 or 5 people upset about this news, but all I can say is wooooo-hoooooo! My guess is we'll see him with the Clippers in a few months..... ------------------ Jen Always defending You-Know-Who
the family thing isn't an excuse. i always thought it was until my friend played minor league baseball and true they get months off each year but during the season you never get to see your family especially if playing or coaching in another city Baseball and college-basketball are very different, though. College basketball season lasts about 30 games. Say half are on the road, that's 15 games. Say each road game takes 3 days (go there day #1, play on day #2, return on day #3), that's 45 days a year he's gone. Add in a month-plus for recruiting, and he's still home over 270 days a year. Much of that (March through September?) is essentially vacation time. Comparatively, when he was playing pro-basketball, he was a gone a hell of a lot more. Where was the need to hang around the kids when they were actually growing up? ------------------
Heypartner, I think it astute to point out that Drexler has a lot more money than many other people who have to travel in their profession, but I think you come to the wrong conclusions with it. Travelling is hard on a family man, but it isn't that early retirement is attractive to the rich, it is that early retirement is not an option for those who aren't rich. The minor leaguer mentioned may not like all the travelling involved in pro ball, but he has to lump it because he hasn't been paid enough to stop. Drexler has the luxury to be able to stop for his family, but he'd still be stopping for the family, not the luxury. ------------------
I am very disappointed. More so than when he gave game 5 away to Utah. He resigned after just 2 seasons? What a joke is that? What about those kids who came to UH because of him? Sailor ------------------ If Dream was a horse ... he would not be pulling your bandwagon anymore.
I could not understand why a majority of this thread does not have a nice thing to say about Clyde. Well, I guess everybody's entitled to their own opinion. I never met Clyde personally but I do appreciate his big contribution in us getting the 2nd championship and that is saying a lot compared to a lot of NBA teams who still does not have a single championship at all. Funny, I was thinking just a few days ago when news that Dream would be sidelined but he still would finish his last year depending on his clean bill of health. I was daydreaming of the chance that Clyde and Dream could team up again next year for one last run, for old time sake. Of course, there's a lot of ifs involve on it. Clyde's basketball conditioning, etc. But imagine how it would boost Dream and the rest of the Rockets. Remember the only reason Clyde retired early is because of Chuck. But Chuck is gone and I still think Clyde have one more season to give. I would hear a lot of criticism concerning this, though, but it's okay everyone's entitled to their own opinion and I just said mine.
ya ya'll are right. now that i think of it my minor league friend was only making 2,800 a month and was gone everyday of the year away from his family from march thru october and was in a bunch of different cities. where as clyde got to live in houston still and only had to coach 30 games a year so i gues its way differnt ------------------ Shane "Save Our Rockets" "Life without basketball in Houston........without an arena that is what it will be"
heypartner, are you posting from the pot again, cuz all you're doing is spewing crap. If you don't think coaching takes away from family life more than a lot of professions, you must've forgotten Rudy having to take time off from exhaustion this summer....not even during the season, and he was working himself to death. ------------------
The trend these days is if you are a coach and you are not successful, you can come up with the "I need time with my family" excuse and just quit. If Clyde accepts a job that demands travel and brings him away from Houston, then he followed Ainge and Thompson(to name two) that used that very excuse and are now travelling all over the US without their families. I just find it strange... ------------------ Live Rocketball. Breathe Rocketball. Die with Rocketball.
TheFreak, I talked that over with Rudy at Rudyards, afterwards. He said it was the best excuse he could come up with after walking into work hung-over and making an ill-advised statement about Mrs. Alexander hair looking too much like Mrs. Lanier's. ------------------ The farther the Rockets move down the standings, the farther I move down the bleachers.
TheFreak: 30 games of college basketball vs. 82 games of professional basketball (there are more out of town games for the pro team than the entire college season). Factor in playoff stints for all of Rudy's seasons except this one (hmmm... the UH was in which tourney this year?) the World stints a couple of years ago and you could see that Rudy was easily working 10-11 months a year, 55-85 hours a week. Somehow I don't think Clyde was doing a 1/10th of that. Clyde's a loser. The amusing thing is that he would have talked sh#t about other players doing exactly what he's doing now. In short: I've lost all respect for the guy. ------------------
