One of the nicest men in the coaching profession — Ray McCallum — was reassigned earlier today from his duties as head basketball coach at the University of Houston. With three years remaining on his contract at about $350,000 per year, McCallum was reassigned to a new UH position as a fund-raiser in the development office. His teams were 34-73 overall, 24-40 in Conference USA.
Houston’s once vaunted basketball program has become a coaches graveyard since legendary former Coach Guy V. Lewis resigned in 1986. Since Guy V., Houston has had four coaches and only one has left the program with a winning record. Coach McCallum’s downfall was his inability to recruit effective post players, a necessity in the hard-knuckled Conference USA.