Matt Doherty
Encyclopedia
Matt Doherty is an American college basketball
coach. He is currently the head men's basketball
coach at Southern Methodist University
. Doherty accepted the job in April 2006 after a year as head coach at Florida Atlantic University
. He is best known for his tumultuous three-year stint as the head basketball coach at North Carolina
from 2000 to 2003.
at Holy Trinity High School
before being recruited to North Carolina by legendary coach Dean Smith
in 1980. Doherty was a four-year starter for North Carolina, and in those four seasons the Tar Heels amassed a record of 117 wins and 21 losses and won the NCAA National Championship
in 1982.
Doherty was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers
in the sixth round, with the 119th overall pick, of the 1984 NBA Draft
. After a very short stint in the NBA
, Doherty worked on Wall Street
for several years.
by head coach Bob McKillop
, who coached Doherty at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, New York
. In 1992 Doherty moved to the University of Kansas
as an assistant coach under Roy Williams
, who had been an assistant to Dean Smith during Doherty's years at North Carolina. During Doherty's time at Kansas, the Jayhawks won four Big 8
and Big 12
titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament
every year. Doherty was an active recruiter during his time at Kansas, and many of the players he coached there went on the play in the NBA
, including Paul Pierce
, Drew Gooden
and Kirk Hinrich
among others.
. The Fighting Irish
had struggled ever since Digger Phelps
retired in 1991, but in Doherty's only season as their coach they posted a 22–15 record and advanced to the finals of the NIT
.
retired in 2000 and it was commonly believed that the job would go to another member of the "Carolina Family" of coaches. The school very publicly courted Roy Williams
, who had left North Carolina for Kansas in 1988, but Williams refused the job. After other candidates such as George Karl
, Larry Brown
, and Eddie Fogler
(all North Carolina alumni) refused the job or did not pan out for various reasons, North Carolina turned to the 38-year-old Doherty to lead the Tar Heels.
Doherty's first season was largely a success as the Heels shot to the #1 ranking in the polls in the middle of the Atlantic Coast Conference
schedule. Fans and players alike seemed energized by his boisterous and in-your-face coaching style, which seemed refreshing when compared to the low-key Smith and Guthridge. (In fact, Doherty received a standing ovation when he was hit with a technical foul
in the team's first game of the season.) However, a string of unexpected losses in the latter part of the year set the Tar Heels reeling. They still finished with an impressive 26-7 record and a tie for the ACC regular season title. The season ended on a sour note, though, with early exit out of the NCAA Tournament
with a second-round upset loss to Penn State. Doherty was named as national coach of the year by the Associated Press
.
The 2001-02 season would not be nearly as enjoyable for Doherty and the Tar Heels as the loss of the previous year's seniors, combined with a roster full of untested freshmen, proved disastrous. The Tar Heels finished the season with a record of 8–20, finishing with a losing record for the first time since 1962 (Dean Smith's first year as coach). They missed postseason play entirely for the first time since the 1965–66 season (including a record 27 straight NCAA Tournament appearances). The 20 losses were easily the most a Tar Heel team has ever suffered. They also finished 4–12 in the ACC—only the Tar Heels' second losing record in ACC play ever. The 12 losses were five more than the Tar Heels had ever suffered in a single season of ACC play, and placed them in a tie for 7th place—the program's first finish below fourth place ever. The season also saw the end of UNC's run of 31 straight 20-win seasons and 35 straight seasons of finishing third or higher in the ACC.
In 2002–2003 the Tar Heels rebounded but still fell short of what North Carolina fans had come to expect, finishing 19-16 and earning a berth in the NIT
. The team started extremely well, winning the preseason NIT with decisive victories over Kansas and Stanford, but an early, season-ending injury to center Sean May left the team with almost no presence inside. Throughout the year many players (particularly May) and other program insiders had publicly voiced their displeasure with Doherty, and fans began to call for Doherty's firing.
According to Blue Blood by Art Chansky (a longtime historian on the UNC program), Doherty was told on March 31 that he would not be allowed to return due to an irreparable rift with his players. Given the option of resigning or being fired, he resigned the next day.
According to Chansky, the seeds for Doherty's downfall were planted by decisions made soon after being named as coach. He announced that he would bring his entire staff from Notre Dame, leaving assistant coaches Phil Ford, Pat Sullivan and Dave Hanners out of jobs. He also forced out several longtime secretaries in the basketball office. In his first address to the team, he stated that he felt they had not done enough—something which jarred a group that had managed to make a Cinderella run to the Final Four
in the previous season. The day after the resignation, Inside Carolina
s Thad Williamson reported that UNC officials were very concerned about the lack of a respectful environment in the program. In part because of this, three scholarship players had transferred—an unusually high number for any college basketball program, especially one of UNC's stature. Several more were threatening to leave if Doherty had been allowed to stay on. Doherty had reportedly been given a year to make things more harmonious if he wanted to keep his job. According to Chansky, apparently this didn't happen, as only two players supported Doherty's return for the 2003–04 season.
A commonly held theory portrays Doherty as being forced out by athletic officials at UNC in order to make way for Williams, who was tapped to replace Doherty. Doherty said as much during an ESPN interview shortly after his resignation. Finally in 2006, with many years separation from his supposed resignation, Doherty no longer spoke positively about his time at UNC and admitted he felt he was pushed out of his job. Williams refused to talk negatively about his former assistant coach Doherty. Although Williams would later admit that he felt the 8–20 season was a disgrace, he would never specifically mention Doherty's name. After taking the job, Williams never publicly voiced strong criticism in various interviews of what some viewed as the heavy-handed manner school officials handled Doherty's dismissal, especially the press conference held by Chancellor James Moeser
and Athletic Director Dick Baddour.
Doherty kept a low profile immediately following his resignation from North Carolina. He served as a college basketball analyst on such outlets as ESPN
and the now-defunct C-SET over the next two seasons and also covered a few Big 12 games on ESPN Plus
.
becoming the fifth coach in FAU's history. In Doherty's one year there, FAU compiled its best-ever conference record (14-6) and only its third season winning record in school history. In April 2006, Matt Doherty left FAU for a coaching position with Southern Methodist University.
, Doherty accepted an offer to become the 16th coach in Southern Methodist University
history on April 23, 2006. This is the fourth stop in Doherty's coaching career. In his first year at SMU, Doherty made an immediate and positive impact on the program. He assisted in raising the funds and planning for the all new state-of-the-art Crum Basketball Center, a practice facility for the men's and women's basketball teams.http://smumustangs.cstv.com/facilities/crum-basketball-center.html The center opened in February 2008. In addition, Doherty helped spearhead the Moody Coliseum
renovations, including a new state-of-the-art jumbo-tron, replacing the court, moving the athletic offices to Gerald J. Ford Stadium
, and general improvements to the facility.
On the court, Doherty began building the foundation for the future while leading SMU to a record of 14-17 in 2006-2007. While losing leading scorer Bryan Hopkins to eligibility, and accepting the job late enough to only land one additional scholarship player, SMU increased their win total from the previous year. Positives from the year included an 11-3 non conference record, a 59-52 loss at Florida State, a 53-48 victory over The University of Dayton, and a near upset of the #6 ranked Memphis Tigers
in the final regular season game. Doherty's team regressed the following year, however, compiling a 10-20 record in 2007-2008.
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach. He is currently the head men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
. Doherty accepted the job in April 2006 after a year as head coach at Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
. He is best known for his tumultuous three-year stint as the head basketball coach at North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
from 2000 to 2003.
Playing career
Doherty played high school basketball on his native Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
at Holy Trinity High School
Holy Trinity Diocesan High School
Holy Trinity High School is a co-educational learning environment located centrally in Hicksville, Nassau County, New York on Long Island. Education is based on New York State Education Standards with a strong emphasis on Religious Studies as well...
before being recruited to North Carolina by legendary coach Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
in 1980. Doherty was a four-year starter for North Carolina, and in those four seasons the Tar Heels amassed a record of 117 wins and 21 losses and won the NCAA National Championship
1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
in 1982.
Doherty was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
in the sixth round, with the 119th overall pick, of the 1984 NBA Draft
1984 NBA Draft
The 1984 NBA Draft was the 38th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on June 19, 1984 before the 1984–85 season. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. In this draft,...
. After a very short stint in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, Doherty worked on Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
for several years.
Assistant coaching career
In 1989 Doherty was hired as an assistant basketball coach at Davidson CollegeDavidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
by head coach Bob McKillop
Bob McKillop
Robert "Bob" McKillop is an American college basketball coach and current head coach of the Davidson College Wildcats men's basketball team.-Early basketball career:...
, who coached Doherty at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, New York
Hicksville, New York
Hicksville is a hamlet and census-designated place located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 41,547 at the 2010 census...
. In 1992 Doherty moved to the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
as an assistant coach under Roy Williams
Roy Williams (coach)
Roy Williams is head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina. After averaging nearly an 80% win percentage in 15 seasons at the University of Kansas, he became the eighteenth head coach at North Carolina when he replaced Matt Doherty in 2003...
, who had been an assistant to Dean Smith during Doherty's years at North Carolina. During Doherty's time at Kansas, the Jayhawks won four Big 8
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
and Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
every year. Doherty was an active recruiter during his time at Kansas, and many of the players he coached there went on the play in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, including Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
, Drew Gooden
Drew Gooden
Andrew Melvin "Drew" Gooden is an American professional basketball player in the NBA who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. Gooden is a 6'10", 250 lbs...
and Kirk Hinrich
Kirk Hinrich
Kirk James Hinrich is an American professional basketball player, currently a guard for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He has also been a member of the USA National Team....
among others.
Notre Dame
In 1999 Doherty was hired as the head coach at the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. The Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
had struggled ever since Digger Phelps
Digger Phelps
Richard "Digger" Phelps is a former American college basketball coach, most notably of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team from 1971 to 1991. Since 1993, he has served as an analyst on ESPN.-Career:...
retired in 1991, but in Doherty's only season as their coach they posted a 22–15 record and advanced to the finals of the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
.
North Carolina
North Carolina head coach Bill GuthridgeBill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge is a retired American college basketball coach.Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for 30 years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina. Following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge served as head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons...
retired in 2000 and it was commonly believed that the job would go to another member of the "Carolina Family" of coaches. The school very publicly courted Roy Williams
Roy Williams (coach)
Roy Williams is head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina. After averaging nearly an 80% win percentage in 15 seasons at the University of Kansas, he became the eighteenth head coach at North Carolina when he replaced Matt Doherty in 2003...
, who had left North Carolina for Kansas in 1988, but Williams refused the job. After other candidates such as George Karl
George Karl
George Matthew Karl is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player. He is the current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. On December 10, 2010 he became the seventh coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins.-Biography:Karl was born in Penn Hills,...
, Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
, and Eddie Fogler
Eddie Fogler
Eddie Fogler was a college basketball player from the University of North Carolina from 1967-1970 where he played as a point guard on two NCAA Final Four teams. Fogler was an All-City guard from Flushing High School in Flushing, New York....
(all North Carolina alumni) refused the job or did not pan out for various reasons, North Carolina turned to the 38-year-old Doherty to lead the Tar Heels.
Doherty's first season was largely a success as the Heels shot to the #1 ranking in the polls in the middle of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
schedule. Fans and players alike seemed energized by his boisterous and in-your-face coaching style, which seemed refreshing when compared to the low-key Smith and Guthridge. (In fact, Doherty received a standing ovation when he was hit with a technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
in the team's first game of the season.) However, a string of unexpected losses in the latter part of the year set the Tar Heels reeling. They still finished with an impressive 26-7 record and a tie for the ACC regular season title. The season ended on a sour note, though, with early exit out of the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
with a second-round upset loss to Penn State. Doherty was named as national coach of the year by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
.
The 2001-02 season would not be nearly as enjoyable for Doherty and the Tar Heels as the loss of the previous year's seniors, combined with a roster full of untested freshmen, proved disastrous. The Tar Heels finished the season with a record of 8–20, finishing with a losing record for the first time since 1962 (Dean Smith's first year as coach). They missed postseason play entirely for the first time since the 1965–66 season (including a record 27 straight NCAA Tournament appearances). The 20 losses were easily the most a Tar Heel team has ever suffered. They also finished 4–12 in the ACC—only the Tar Heels' second losing record in ACC play ever. The 12 losses were five more than the Tar Heels had ever suffered in a single season of ACC play, and placed them in a tie for 7th place—the program's first finish below fourth place ever. The season also saw the end of UNC's run of 31 straight 20-win seasons and 35 straight seasons of finishing third or higher in the ACC.
In 2002–2003 the Tar Heels rebounded but still fell short of what North Carolina fans had come to expect, finishing 19-16 and earning a berth in the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
. The team started extremely well, winning the preseason NIT with decisive victories over Kansas and Stanford, but an early, season-ending injury to center Sean May left the team with almost no presence inside. Throughout the year many players (particularly May) and other program insiders had publicly voiced their displeasure with Doherty, and fans began to call for Doherty's firing.
According to Blue Blood by Art Chansky (a longtime historian on the UNC program), Doherty was told on March 31 that he would not be allowed to return due to an irreparable rift with his players. Given the option of resigning or being fired, he resigned the next day.
According to Chansky, the seeds for Doherty's downfall were planted by decisions made soon after being named as coach. He announced that he would bring his entire staff from Notre Dame, leaving assistant coaches Phil Ford, Pat Sullivan and Dave Hanners out of jobs. He also forced out several longtime secretaries in the basketball office. In his first address to the team, he stated that he felt they had not done enough—something which jarred a group that had managed to make a Cinderella run to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
in the previous season. The day after the resignation, Inside Carolina
Inside Carolina
Inside Carolina is an independent magazine and web site devoted to the University of North Carolina athletics. The site covers North Carolina football, men's basketball, baseball and recruiting. Its staff is composed of professional journalists who provide its readers with coverage of Tar Heel...
s Thad Williamson reported that UNC officials were very concerned about the lack of a respectful environment in the program. In part because of this, three scholarship players had transferred—an unusually high number for any college basketball program, especially one of UNC's stature. Several more were threatening to leave if Doherty had been allowed to stay on. Doherty had reportedly been given a year to make things more harmonious if he wanted to keep his job. According to Chansky, apparently this didn't happen, as only two players supported Doherty's return for the 2003–04 season.
A commonly held theory portrays Doherty as being forced out by athletic officials at UNC in order to make way for Williams, who was tapped to replace Doherty. Doherty said as much during an ESPN interview shortly after his resignation. Finally in 2006, with many years separation from his supposed resignation, Doherty no longer spoke positively about his time at UNC and admitted he felt he was pushed out of his job. Williams refused to talk negatively about his former assistant coach Doherty. Although Williams would later admit that he felt the 8–20 season was a disgrace, he would never specifically mention Doherty's name. After taking the job, Williams never publicly voiced strong criticism in various interviews of what some viewed as the heavy-handed manner school officials handled Doherty's dismissal, especially the press conference held by Chancellor James Moeser
James Moeser
James Charles Moeser was the ninth chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also a trained concert organist...
and Athletic Director Dick Baddour.
Doherty kept a low profile immediately following his resignation from North Carolina. He served as a college basketball analyst on such outlets as ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and the now-defunct C-SET over the next two seasons and also covered a few Big 12 games on ESPN Plus
ESPN Plus
ESPN Plus, the popular name of ESPN Regional Television, is an American television program syndicator. ERT is based along with sister network ESPNU in Charlotte, North Carolina...
.
Florida Atlantic University
On April 18, 2005, he was named as the new head basketball coach at Florida Atlantic UniversityFlorida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
becoming the fifth coach in FAU's history. In Doherty's one year there, FAU compiled its best-ever conference record (14-6) and only its third season winning record in school history. In April 2006, Matt Doherty left FAU for a coaching position with Southern Methodist University.
Southern Methodist University
After a year at Florida Atlantic UniversityFlorida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
, Doherty accepted an offer to become the 16th coach in Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
history on April 23, 2006. This is the fourth stop in Doherty's coaching career. In his first year at SMU, Doherty made an immediate and positive impact on the program. He assisted in raising the funds and planning for the all new state-of-the-art Crum Basketball Center, a practice facility for the men's and women's basketball teams.http://smumustangs.cstv.com/facilities/crum-basketball-center.html The center opened in February 2008. In addition, Doherty helped spearhead the Moody Coliseum
Moody Coliseum
Moody Coliseum is an 8,998-seat multi-purpose arena in University Park, Texas. The arena opened in 1956. It is home to the Southern Methodist University Mustangs basketball team. It was also home to the Dallas Chaparrals and Texas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association before they moved...
renovations, including a new state-of-the-art jumbo-tron, replacing the court, moving the athletic offices to Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Gerald J. Ford Stadium is a stadium in University Park, Texas, one of the two "Park Cities" that form an enclave within the city limits of Dallas. The stadium is used primarily for football, and it is home to the Southern Methodist University Mustangs and is frequently used for local high school...
, and general improvements to the facility.
On the court, Doherty began building the foundation for the future while leading SMU to a record of 14-17 in 2006-2007. While losing leading scorer Bryan Hopkins to eligibility, and accepting the job late enough to only land one additional scholarship player, SMU increased their win total from the previous year. Positives from the year included an 11-3 non conference record, a 59-52 loss at Florida State, a 53-48 victory over The University of Dayton, and a near upset of the #6 ranked Memphis Tigers
Memphis Tigers
The Memphis Tigers represent the University of Memphis in Division I of the NCAA. They are members of C-USA and currently feature nine women's sports and nine men's sports...
in the final regular season game. Doherty's team regressed the following year, however, compiling a 10-20 record in 2007-2008.
Head coaching record
External links
- Stewart Mandel, From Tobacco Road to Boca: Matt Doherty has made most of second chance at FAU, Sports Illustrated.
- FAU Season Review, http://fausports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030706aaa.html
- CBS article on Doherty at SMU: Doherty: 'I'm 50 times better now than I was then
- SMU Mens Basketball Blog: Matt Doherty's blog at SMU
- Prince Peruna: Prince Peruna
- Rapidly Elevating: Doherty Rapidly Elevating SMU from Obscurity
- Crum Basketball Facility: Crum Basketball Center