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John Harp                                 Ed De La Garza 
Jason Caesar Consolacion     Jim Parsons

Clyde ‘glydes' off

Given a weekend to digest what was the biggest UH news Thursday (with apologies to Edgar J. Trias' family), it's probably time to evaluate Clyde Drexler's decision to leave the Cougars as head men's basketball coach.

The announcement of his decision hit the newsroom like a ton of bricks. Everyone was surprised, but after thinking about it, Drexler's decision made sense. During the announcement Thursday afternoon, Drexler cited concerns about not spending enough time with his family and the demands put on him as a coach.

Athletics Director Chet Gladchuk's first major hire was a no-brainer. Drexler was just coming off a spectacular NBA career. Along with Hakeem Olajuwon, Drexler had led the basketball team to its last run at greatness. The hire was the rebirth of Phi Slamma Jamma.

"Come glyde with Clyde" stickers were plastered everywhere. It got to the point where the story wasn't how the team was doing, but pride over the coach. The team's performance didn't really come into play until mid-way through this past season.

A 19-39 record didn't speak well for the team -- or the coach's ability. But in truth, the third season was going to be Drexler's true test. An excellent recruiting class -- Drexler's class -- was set to come in.

So in the end, Drexler was inundated with the amount of work required to be a college basketball head coach. The recruiting, the "babysitting," dealing with alumni and finally, the actual coaching. That's something Drexler was never qualified to do. Had he been, he would have known what he was getting himself into before he took the job.

Few can find fault in a person for wanting to spend more time with his family. But you still tend to feel disappointed. Though the record didn't indicate it, the Cougars were on their way back up. They played national powerhouses Connecticut and Cincinnati, andhey weren't intimidated.

So now, the decision for Gladchuk becomes whether to choose flash over substance. There's a short list of coaches who could provide both, namely current assistant coach Reid Gettys. Calvin Murphy's name has also been bandied about.

The attention you receive by having someone famous pacing the court is temporary. Gladchuk needs to hire someone who can build on what Drexler brought back to the program.

No hard feelings, Clyde. It was fun to dream about what was and what could have been.