Find a Grave John Chaney (1932-2021)

Find a Grave John Chaney (1932-2021)
John Chaney
Birth 21 Jan 1932
Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, USA
Death 29 Jan 2021 (aged 89)
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA
Burial Details Unknown
Hall of Fame College Basketball Coach.

John Chaney (1932-2021)

 Known for his fiery and candid persona and outstanding teaching of the game, Chaney served for twenty-four seasons as head coach of the Temple Owls and guided his teams to five NCAA Regional Finals and seventeen NCAA Tournament berths.

He led the 1987-1988 team to a 32 win, 2 loss record which resulted in an appearance in the “Elite Eight.” The Florida native played collegiate basketball at Bethune-Cookman University, prior to playing professionally with the Sunbury Mercuries and Williamsport Billies of the Continental Basketball Association. He began his coaching career on the high school level in Pennsylvania which included Philadelphia’s Simon Gratz High School, before moving on Cheyney State University from 1972 until 1982. In 1982, Chaney succeeded Don Casey as head coach of Temple University’s basketball program and during the course of his career, he innovated the “match-up zone defense” which challenged opposing teams.

Find a Grave John Chaney (1932-2021)

He coached NBA players, Eddie Jones, Mark Macon and Aaron McKie and was the recipient of NCAA Coach of the Year honors several times. In 1994, Chaney was involved in a highly-memorable altercation in which he threatened to kill University of Massachusetts head coach John Calipari which made national headlines which resulted in a brief suspension of Chaney.

In 2005, he was suspended for ordering one of his players to forcefully foul an opposing player. In addition to his on the court coaching, Chaney was known for his guidance in life to players and students. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.