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Former head basketball coach Neil Dougherty dies at age 50

Former head basketball coach Neil Dougherty dies at age 50

A wake will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lientz Funeral Home in Leavenworth, Kan. The service will be held at 11 a.m. at Saturday at Sacred Heart Church, 1401 2nd Avenue, Leavenworth, Kan.

Colleagues and contemporaries of the late Neil Dougherty said they would remember him for his kindness and his love for the game Friday.

Dougherty, the former head basketball coach for TCU from 2002-2008, died in Indianapolis Tuesday,according to a statement from the University of Kansas.He was in the city for a basketball camp. Dougherty never returned from jogging on Tuesday. His body was identified Friday morning.

According to an email to TCU faculty and staff, Chancellor Victor Boschini has requested that the flags be lowered for Dougherty's memorial on July 15.

Dougherty finished his career at TCU with a record of 75-106. He lead the Horned Frogs in the 2004-05 season to a record of 21-14 and an appearance in the NIT, the last time the men’s team made a postseason tournament.

Before coming to TCU, Dougherty spent seven seasons at the University of Kansas as an assistant coach and recruiting guru under Roy Williams.

Williams, who now coaches for the University of North Carolina, said he was in a state of mourning after hearing of his former assistants' passing.

"I was shocked and saddened to hear the news about Neil this morning," Williams told TCU 360. "He was a great person, a great coach and a great family man. Our time together at Kansas was special, and I really respected him a great deal. I was just crushed to hear the news of his death and can't imagine the effect it's had on his great family. My thoughts and prayers are certainly with his family and those at TCU."

After leaving TCU, Dougherty became the director of athlete and coach programs at iHoops, a joint organization between the NCAA and the NBA that focused on improving youth basketball.

“Serving the game he loved, Neil has been a driving force and true visionary in the path of building iHoops from its earliest days,” according to a written statement from iHoops.com. “Neil's commitment to assuring young people experience the joy and satisfaction of the game as he did will empower our focus going forward. ”

According to GoFrogs.com, Dougherty and his wife, Patti, have three children: Megan, Neil Patrick and Ryan. Neil Patrick was a guard on the TCU basketball team from 2003-2007.

A biography on GoFrogs.com said that Dougherty's "plan for success, his determination and his style of play re-energized the Horned Frogs' fan base. Under his watch, TCU set an arena attendance record when 7,267 fans crammed into Daniel-Meyer Coliseum to watch the Horned Frogs play the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks on Dec. 1, 2003."

The Marion County Medical Examiner would not give details as to the cause of death, and no records are available online.

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