HOUSTON (AP) — Furniture dealer Hilton Koch bought the Houston Comets, making the four-time
WNBA champions the league’s fifth independently owned franchise.
The WNBA Board of Governors approved the sale Wednesday.
The Comets were previously owned by Leslie Alexander, who also owns the NBA’s Houston Rockets. Alexander sold the WNBA franchise so he could focus solely on the Rockets, said Rockets CEO Tad Brown.
Alexander did not attend Wednesday’s announcement at the Toyota Center.
“It was a difficult decision for him,” Brown said. “He really had two objectives when we went looking for a buyer. First, he wanted to keep the team in Houston, and the second thing was he wanted to make sure we had the opportunity to keep playing at the Toyota Center. We were able to get those things done, and he’s very pleased.”
Koch, who owns the Houston-based Hilton Furniture chain, is a season ticket holder. Brown gave Koch a ring from the Comets’ 2000 championship season as he introduced him.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I plan to take full advantage of it,” Koch said. “The No. 1 reason for me to be involved with the WNBA and the Houston Comets is to give back to the community.”
The Comets, like most WNBA franchises, have struggled to draw fans and make money. Houston drew an average of 7,682 in the 18,300-seat Toyota Center in 2013, up from 2012. But the figure was down from the four seasons between 1998-02, when the team won all its titles and attendance averaged more than 10,000.
The Charlotte Sting, another of the league’s original eight teams, folded earlier this year after a buyer couldn’t be found.
The other independently owned teams in the league are Connecticut, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Koch made a plea for local fans to support the team and also said he’s seeking $4 million in corporate sponsorships.
“We’re not only asking people to reach down into your pocket and support the WNBA,” Koch said. “We’re also asking you to dig deep into your hearts.”
Koch’s company is a corporate sponsor, and he said that gives him a fresh approach to owning it.
“We’ll look at it from a local market, versus the traditional way an owner in the WNBA would look at it,” Koch said. “We have a lot to bring to the table. We know the community, we know the market, so we really feel that we’re at an advantage.”
The Comets must find a new coach after Van Chancellor resigned Jan. 3. Chancellor had coached the Comets since the league launched in 1997 and Houston won the first of four championships.
Led by Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson, the Comets went 98-24 in their first four seasons. Cooper was named the league’s most valuable player in 1997 and ’98 and Swoopes was the MVP in 2000. Both attended Wednesday’s announcement.
The Comets missed the playoffs just once in 10 seasons but are 50-52 the past three years.
“I’m really looking forward to a season under new ownership, under a new coaching staff,” said Swoopes, a three-time league MVP. “I know a lot of people are doubting that this is going to work, that we’re going to be successful. But we’re going to make it happen. I kind of look at it as starting over, a rebirth of the Comets.”
Later Wednesday, KRIV-TV in Houston reported that Darryl Linden will be named the team’s new general manager and president. The Comets did not immediately return a phone message.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
