HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Comets were WNBA champions for four years in a row.<\/p>\n
It was a team that drew large crowds, filling arenas with screaming fans. It was also a roster of stars, and a franchise built by winners.<\/p>\n
And the man behind that league’s first dynasty was their former head coach, Van Chancellor, who called the shots for 10 years.<\/p>\n
“We couldn’t go anywhere in the city without our fan base just loving us. It was a wonderful thing,” Chancellor said.<\/p>\n
Nearly two decades later, pieces of the franchise still live inside his home, lining the stairs, each step a walk down memory lane.<\/p>\n
“This is a picture of the big three and I after the 3-peat, and that was a wonderful time,” Chancellor said.<\/p>\n
After the team was put up for sale, the league ultimately folded the franchise in 2008 due to financial struggles, forcing Chancellor to say goodbye to a team he helped build from the ground up.<\/p>\n
“I cried. I didn’t want Houston to lose the Comets,” he said.<\/p>\n
While the city lost an WNBA team, Chancellor says he never lost hope.<\/p>\n
“I knew we were going to do it. (Tillman Fertitta) was willing to fund it. That was the big thing,” he said.<\/p>\n
Rockets owner Fertitta bought the Connecticut Sun, and according to ABC13’s sister network, ESPN, the franchise is expected to bring back the Comets’ name.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Fertitta family buys Connecticut Sun, paving way for WNBA team to come back to Houston: ESPN sources<\/a><\/p>\n But this time, instead of being on the court, Chancellor will be with fans watching the revival of the franchise he helped start.<\/p>\n “I have no doubt in my mind I’ll be there. Yeah, I’ll be there. That’s a given,” he said.<\/p>\n And the Sun will still play their 2026 season at home, so the new team won’t be here until 2027.<\/p>\n For updates, follow Mo Haider on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2026 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n