John Chaney, Commanding Temple Basketball Coach, Dies At 89

January 30, 2021 4:37 am

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – John Chaney, one of the nation’s leading coaches during a Hall of Fame career at Temple, has died. He was 89. The university said he died Friday after a short, unspecified illness. Chaney was a commanding figure on the court and admired as much for his mentoring of players as for the team’s success. He became a de facto father to dozens of his players, many coming from broken homes. Chaney led Temple to 17 NCAA Tournament appearances over 24 seasons, including five NCAA regional finals. He had 741 wins and was twice named national coach of the year.