A week after the world said goodbye to Hank Aaron, the sports world says farewell to another legend longtime Temple head coach John Chaney passed away on Friday at the age of 89. Chaney was born in Jacksonville, FL, on January 21, 1932. His coaching career began at Bethune-Cookman college in the Eastern Professional Basketball League.
The greatness and wisdom of John Chaney extends far beyond the basketball court. For generations of Owls, he was a wise counselor, a dedicated teacher and a passionate leader. For many others, he simply was Temple. Thank you for everything, Coach. 🦉 pic.twitter.com/GTn0TmW5EJ — Temple University (@TempleUniv) January 29, 2021
After Chaney coached Bethune-Cookman, he moved to coach high school in 1963 with Sayre Junior High School in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. In three seasons, the team went 59-9. He also coached Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia in 1966. His high school record was 63-23 before returning to college.
Chaney would then coach at Cheyney State College, a Division II school in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. They were a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and won the 1978 Division II championship. After spending a decade there, he went to Temple, and the rest was history.
Chaney coached the Owls for 24-years with a 516-263 record. The Owls won the A10 championship two times and won the regular-season championship eight times. He led the team to the NCAA Tournament seventeen times in his coaching career. The team’s highest appearance under him was the Elite 8 twice in 1988 and 1993.
Chaney has won numerous awards, including the A10 Coach of the Year five times, the Henry Iba Award twice (1987, 1988), NABC Coach of the Year (1988), AP Coach of the Year (1988), UPI Coach of the Year (1988), and Division II National Coach of the Year (1978). Chaney was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. His overall coaching record is 741-312.
Chaney’s biggest accomplishments came off the court, helping to mentor and shape lives, including future NBA players Mark Macon, Tim Perry, current Temple coach Aaron McKie, Eddie Jones, Rick Brunson, and Marc Jackson. He fought for his kids every day to make sure that they have the tools they needed to become better human beings. One of Chaney’s best quotes is, “The most important day of your life is today. This very minute is the most important of your life. You must win this minute. You must win this day. And tomorrow will take care of itself.”
While Chaney is no longer with us, another one of his famous quotes is, “I will be here and be around, watching over you. You can bet on that. I’ll find a way to get some peanuts and take some beer and tell some lies.” Those who he touched will never forget him. As long as those who he helped pass on his teachings, Chaney is never gone. His legacy will live on forever.
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