On Sunday, three days after the men’s basketball season closed, so did something else. Neil Dougherty’s tenure as head coach is over.

Dougherty will not return to fulfill the last year of his contract for obvious reasons – empty stands and loosing streaks.

Since leaving his position as assistant coach to Roy Williams at the University of Kansas to come to TCU, Dougherty has had six years of ups and downs.

At games in the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, fans were missing from the stands – a sign of an evident and luring problem. This past season, Dougherty even tried recruiting fans from the Greek community and elsewhere to build encouragement for a team he said was desperate for it. While his efforts slightly paid off and attendance grew, it wasn’t enough to win games and keep the coach here.

“We appreciate Neil’s contributions to TCU over the last six years,” said Danny Morrison, TCU athletics director, in a press release. “He cares deeply about the student-athletes and always had their best interests at heart. He put a lot of time and effort into the job, and we wish him the best in the future.”

Although his efforts to recruit fans were admirable and his passion for the team was clear, it’s not enough to make up for his poor record.

This season’s 14-16 record was his highest since TCU entered the Mountain West Conference, but the regular season road record, 1-12, is what kept the team from success.

Dougherty’s inability to win on the road kept the team from ever being a serious competitor.

Danny Morrison’s decision was probably not easy, but it was best for the program. While morale might take a hit, the decision will benefit the team in the long run.