After seven years at the helm, Kurt Kanaskie has resigned as head mens’ basketball coach at Drake. The Bulldogs are coming off a disappointing season which began with lofty expectations and finished with a 10-20 record. Kanaskie says he feels grateful to Drake University for everyting they’ve done for him and his family.Kanaskie says he had intended to return as coach but after taking his daughter Kristin to the Final Four he changed his mind. He says he only saw his daughter play basketball twice, and says he’s spent so much time working with other players, he looks forward to working with his own some. Kanaskie says he would like to remain in the area because his son is a sophomore at Dowling and would like to finish there. His future plans are unknown but he would like to stay in basketball. He says he can’t recall a time in his life when he didn’t have basketball in his life. He says he may redshirt a year and go around and watch games.The Drake program has been handcuffed in recent years due to more stringent academic standards. Kanaskie similar standards are being discussed across the country. He says every school in the country should have the two-point rule. Kanaskie’s best season was in 2002 when the Bulldogs finished 9-9 in the Missouri Valley and 14-15 overall. Despite not posting a winning season during his tenure Kanaskie feels the program has made strides since he took over in the midst of N-C-A-A probation. He says he’s confident the program is in better shape than it was when he took over. Drake athletic director Dave Blank had said Kanaskie would return as coach and said the decision was the coach’s. He says he supports the personal decision Kanaskie made to resign.Blank says despite the roadblocks a new coach can win at Drake. This just adds to the workload for Blank who is already searching for a new women’s coach after Lisa Stone took the job at Wisconsin. He says he’s far enough along in the search for a womens’ coach that it shouldn’t be a big problem.
