As rejuvenating as a year in broadcasting might have been and as exciting as seven weeks as a coveted commodity had to be, today Jeff Van Gundy returns to the profession for which he spent a lifetime preparing.

Today, Van Gundy becomes a coach again.

Though the fine-print lines of his contract had not been finished Tuesday, the Rockets scheduled a 2 p.m. news conference for today to introduce Van Gundy as their coach. Confident the last details will be completed as easily as the contract negotiations themselves, the Rockets were as ready to present their choice as he was to go to work.

"He's still very excited, but he's in the work mode," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "He's starting to think about summer league (July 7-20 in Long Beach, Calif.), getting a staff together, the draft.