PHILADELPHIA — Pat Croce knew exactly what he wanted. Now he doesn't know what he got.
Croce, who wanted to be chief executive officer of the company that owns the Philadelphia 76ers, stepped down as the team's president on Wednesday but will remain in the organization in an undefined role as consultant. Croce remains a minority owner and board member.
"I don't know what I'll be doing," Croce said of his new position.
Ed Snider, minority owner of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the team, also announced Wednesday that Larry Brown will return as coach of the Sixers. Brown, who has four years remaining on an existing contract, had been contemplating retirement.
Croce, the Sixers' president for the past five years, said he hopes to use the new position to start his own consulting business, spend more time giving motivational speeches and, perhaps, teach a college course.
"I want to grow, I have to grow," Croce said. "I like to continue to learn and tackle new challenges. I needed new responsibilities."
Croce cited a list of successes on and off the court, saying the only thing he didn't accomplish as president was winning a championship.
"I wanted to win a championship here. I wanted a parade," Croce said. "We achieved all but one of those goals. Almost, almost. The parade is still a dream, but there is no deadline on dreams." The Sixers won the Eastern Conference for the first time in 18 years, but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals.
After his first meeting with Snider, Croce said he only would return if he were to become CEO of Comcast-Spectacor. Snider, who as chairman of the Flyers and Sixers handles those responsibilities, immediately said that was "not a viable option."
Croce said he and Snider discussed "succession" in their meeting, leading him to believe the opportunity was available.
"This was not a palace coup. I believe the king was dangling the keys for me and I went after it," Croce said. "My mistake. ... This door was not open at this time."
Croce backed off his demand after Snider shot him down. He met again with Snider and Brian Roberts, majority owner of Comcast-Spectacor, but they could not find a suitable position for him.
The Sixers won't replace Croce as president, but Dave Coskey was promoted from senior vice president of marketing and public relations to executive vice president for business operations.
"I don't think I can climb any bridges," Coskey said, referring to when Croce climbed a bridge during the NBA finals to hang a Sixers banner.
Croce, who never had a written contract as Sixers president, still owns nearly 2.5 percent of Comcast-Spectacor. A former physical therapist for the Sixers and conditioning coach for the Flyers, Croce helped turn the Sixers from a laughingstock franchise into the Eastern Conference champions in five years.
He also brought fans back to basketball in a city that couldn't sell out games when Julius Erving was in his glory years and the playoffs were a matter of course.
Croce presided over the draft that brought Allen Iverson to the Sixers in 1996 and persuaded Brown to coach the team a year later. His toughest task was making sure the contentious relationship between the star player and coach didn't reach a breaking point.
It worked. Iverson was the NBA's MVP and Brown won coach of the year honors as the 76ers reached the NBA Finals last season.
Croce is best known for being the league's zaniest executive. Besides scaling a suspension bridge during the finals, he once descended upside down from the roof inside the First Union Center during a timeout in a 1999 game, ecstatic that the Sixers had made the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
Before this year's playoffs, he climbed a water tower to hang another Sixers banner. Two weeks ago, he parachuted out of a plane as part of an air show.
Croce nearly lost his leg in a motorcycle accident two years ago, but remained cheerful and upbeat despite needing three operations.
Croce's toughest moment came when his brother, John, was forced to resign as a Sixers trainer in January after allegedly being caught stealing money from Iverson's pants in the locker room.
"I feel sadness in my heart, but I feel great about what we accomplished," Croce said.