For those who watched college basketball in the 80s and 90s, certain coaches stood out and apart from the rest.
Names like Lou Carneseca, Rollie Massimino, Jim Valvano, Dean Smith, and John Thompson. Legendary coaches and legendary men who shaped both the game of basketball and the lives of their players. Today we learned of the passing of another iconic name from that classic time in college hoops, John Chaney.
The longtime coach of the Temple University Owls was 89.
The fiery, no-nonsense Chaney roamed the sidelines during, arguably, the greatest decades in college basketball. The Big East and ACC were dominant, producing some of the greatest players in NCAA and NBA history. But Temple, prior to his arrival, did not receive the same type of players or recognition as the others.
Enter John Chaney.
In his first season as the head coach of the Owls in 1982, the team went 14-15. But then the Chaney magic took over and the program rose to new heights. Over the next 23 years under Chaney, the team never had another losing season. They dominated their conference, winning eight A-10 regular-season titles and six conference titles. His teams played in a postseason tournament in 23 out of the 24 years under his leadership. They earned 17 NCAA Tournament berths and were ranked #1 in the nation in the 1987-88 season, eventually losing to #2 Duke in the Regional Final of the NCAA tournament that year.
He amassed an overall record of 516-253, a winning percentage of .671. He was named coach of the year by a variety of organizations in the 1987-88 season, when the team went 18-0 in the A-10 and 32-2 overall. Elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, Chaney amassed 741 total wins in his coaching career. He also was, per ESPN.com, the first Black coach to reach 700 wins.
Chaney arrived at Temple after spending 10 seasons as the head coach of Cheyney State, a Division II program outside of Philadelphia. During his decade there, the team went 225-59, appeared in eight DII tournaments and won the national championship in 1978.
But it was at Temple where John Chaney became a legend, one that will be sorely missed by all.
“John Chaney was a great coach, but he was so much more. For generations of Temple University students, he was a wise counselor, a dedicated teacher, an icon of success, and a passionate leader who always led by example and with conviction,” Temple president Richard M. Englert said in a statement. “I am also honored to say he was a dear friend.
John Chaney was a tough coach, one who believed in hard-nosed basketball and a suffocating defense. His matchup zone defensive scheme befuddled many teams, annually ranking the Owls among the leaders in scoring defense.
Chaney was always a winner. Whether at Benjamin Franklin High, where he was the MVP of the Philadelphia Public League. Or in college at Bethune-Cookman, where he was an NAIA All-American and MVP in the 1953 NAIA Championships. After graduating from Bethune in 1955, he played professionally in the Eastern Basketball League. There he was named all-pro six times and was named league MVP in 1959 and 1960. He was so good that he even did double duty as a player and coach for two seasons.
After his pro career, he returned to Philadelphia and built winning programs at the junior high school and high school levels before moving up to college basketball.
A coach and father
He was a highly successful coach, but an even better leader and father figure to the men he coached. Akin to the legendary John Thompson, he took boys from troubled environments and made them into men by focusing on education and life coaching.
“Coach Chaney was like a father to me,” said current Temple men’s basketball coach, Aaron McKie. “He taught not just me, but all of his players more than just how to succeed in basketball. He taught us life lessons to make us better individuals off the court. I owe so much to him. He made me the man I am today.”
Most importantly, Chaney was an advocate for young Black men who were often forgotten in the dirty politics of college basketball and recruiting.
“What entity has the right to play God?” Chaney asked in the 1994 Sports Illustrated profile. “You tellin’ me the NCAA can decide who lives and who dies among Black folks? Education is food, it’s heat, it’s shelter! Who has the right to deprive anyone of that? I come from the earth! I know what I’m talkin’ about! What choice are we givin’ the kids who fail that SAT test? One choice! Back to the streets … to a slow-legged death.”
He was not afraid to take a stand. Nor was he afraid of confrontation and fighting for what he believed in. He infamously sent “goons” into the game to administer some “act right”. He approached and charged former UMass head coach, John Calipari, during a press conference.
If Chaney had a problem with you, better believe that it was going to be dealt with.
But it’s a testament to who he was as a person that people like Calipari could understand that his passion for the game was just that. They actually became good friends and he took to Twitter to express his sadness at Chaney’s passing.
John Chaney was born on January 21st, 1932, in Jacksonville, Florida. But he rose to prominence in Philadelphia through a passion for basketball, coaching and fighting the fight no matter the venue or subject.
“It has never been a job for me, but a passion,” said Chaney in his retirement ceremony. “When I look back, it will not be the wins and losses — but the people who influenced me and touched me greatly, and especially the men’s and women’s coaches and players who have made this university and my time here so special.”
Rest in power Coach Chaney.
