The next year they improved by three wins, with the season's highlight coming with a nationally-televised 25-point victory over 10th-ranked Louisville, coached by Rick Pitino.
However, after losing star guards Corey Santee and Marcus Shropshire to graduation, the Frogs failed to build on the NIT momentum and stumbled to a 6–25 record in 2005–06.
This caused many TCU boosters and local media figures to question whether or not Dougherty was the right person for the job.
His 2006–27 team made strides, finishing 13–17, but the season also included an eleven-game losing streak, which did little to quiet Dougherty's critics.
[1] Dougherty was in Indianapolis working for IHoops, a joint venture between the NBA and NCAA that promotes youth basketball.