The basic answer is pretty much contained in your question: Clarence Gilyard Jr. left "Matlock" to join "Walker, Texas Ranger." It was a bit of a gamble, going from an established series to a new one, but it also offered a pretty big payoff.

And pay off it did: "Matlock" only lasted two more years after he left, while "Walker, Texas Ranger" ran for eight, plus a reunion telefilm in 2005.

It was also a bigger role. In "Walker," he was a fellow Texas Ranger and Cordell's partner; on "Matlock," he was Ben's private investigator, but far from his equal on the show. 

"Matlock" was also going through some production turbulence at the time that may have figured into Gilyard's decision. In 1992, it was dropped by NBC and picked up by ABC. The network move came with a production move: Starting in 1993, they began shooting in North Carolina, nearer to Andy Griffith's own home.

Nancy Stafford, who played Michelle Thomas in "Matlock's" first six seasons, left because she didn't want to make the cross-country move. Gilyard made the move, but only lasted a year -- it could be that North Carolina didn't agree with him.

Stafford told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel at the time that the move would take her "out of the Hollywood mainstream." Given that, within a year Gilyard was back in L.A. for pilot season (though "Walker" would ultimately be shot in Texas), it seems he missed the West Coast as well.

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