John Chaney (basketball, born 1932) facts for kids
Chaney coaching the Temple Owls in 2006
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| Biographical details | |
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| Born | January 21, 1932 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | January 29, 2021 (aged 89) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Alma mater | |
| Playing career | |
| 1951–1955 | Bethune–Cookman |
| 1955–1963 | Sunbury Mercuries |
| 1963–1966 | Williamsport Billies |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1963–1966 | William L. Sayre Junior HS |
| 1966–1972 | Simon Gratz HS |
| 1972–1982 | Cheyney State |
| 1982–2006 | Temple |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 741–312 (college) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCAA Division II tournament (1978) 7 A-10 regular season (1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1998–2000) 6 A-10 tournament (1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 2000, 2001) |
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| Awards | |
| Division II National Coach of the Year (1978) Henry Iba Award (1987, 1988) A-10 Coach of the Year (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000) NABC Coach of the Year (1988) AP Coach of the Year (1988) UPI Coach of the Year (1988) |
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| Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2001 |
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| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 |
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John Chaney (born January 21, 1932 – died January 29, 2021) was a famous American college basketball coach. He is best known for leading the Temple Owls basketball team from 1982 to 2006. His amazing career led him to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. He also joined the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Contents
John Chaney's Early Life and Playing Career
John Chaney was born in Jacksonville, Florida. However, he grew up in Philadelphia. He started his basketball journey after finishing college at Bethune–Cookman. Later, he played professionally in the Eastern Professional Basketball League. He played for the Sunbury Mercuries from 1955 to 1963. After that, he joined the Williamsport Billies from 1963 to 1966.
John Chaney's Coaching Journey
John Chaney began his coaching career in 1963. He started at William L. Sayre Junior High School in Philadelphia. His teams there had a great record, winning 59 games and losing only 9. In 1966, he moved to Simon Gratz High School. He took over a team that had only won one game. Over six seasons, he turned them around with a 63–23 record.
Coaching College Basketball: Cheyney State
Chaney's first college coaching job was at Cheyney State College. He coached the Cheyney Wolves in NCAA Division II basketball. At Cheyney, his teams were very successful, with a record of 232 wins and 56 losses. In 1978, Cheyney State won the NCAA Division II national championship. This was a huge achievement for the team.
Coaching College Basketball: Temple University
After ten successful years at Cheyney, Chaney moved to Temple University in 1982. There, he coached the Temple Owls in NCAA Division I. Chaney became known as a tough coach who expected the best from his players. He wanted them to excel both on and off the court.
He was famous for his early-morning practices. He also used a special "match-up zone defense" strategy. Chaney liked to schedule difficult games against strong teams. This helped his players improve and prepare for big challenges.
Awards and Achievements at Temple
Chaney won many awards during his time at Temple. He received the Henry Iba Award twice, in 1987 and 1988. This award goes to the best college basketball coach each year. He also won the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year award multiple times.
On December 20, 2004, Chaney coached his 1,000th college game. He was only the fifth active coach to reach this milestone. He led the Temple Owls to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 17 times. His 1987–88 team was even ranked #1 in the country! He reached the "Elite Eight" (the final eight teams in the NCAA tournament) five times.
A Difficult Moment
In 2005, there was a tough moment during a game against Saint Joseph's. Chaney felt the referees were missing calls. He made a decision that led to one of his players committing a hard foul. A Saint Joseph's player got a fractured arm from the foul.
Chaney later said he was trying to "send a message." He suspended himself for one game. When he heard about the injury, the university suspended him for the rest of the regular season. Chaney then extended his suspension through the conference tournament.
Retirement and Legacy
On March 13, 2006, John Chaney announced he was retiring from coaching. He finished his career after Temple's play in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Fran Dunphy took over as the new coach.
Chaney won a total of 741 games in his college coaching career. He was inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame. This Hall of Fame honors the best in Philadelphia's college basketball history. In 2001, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
John Chaney's Personal Life
John Chaney was married to Jeanne, and they had a daughter named Pamela. John Chaney passed away on January 29, 2021, at the age of 89. He left behind a great legacy in college basketball.
Head Coaching Record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyney State Wolves (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) (1972–1982) | |||||||||
| 1972–73 | Cheyney State | 23–5 | 12–2 | 1st (Eastern) | NCAA College Regional third place | ||||
| 1973–74 | Cheyney State | 19–7 | 11–3 | T–1st (Eastern) | |||||
| 1974–75 | Cheyney State | 16–9 | 9–5 | 2nd (Eastern) | |||||
| 1975–76 | Cheyney State | 24–5 | 11–1 | 1st (Eastern) | NCAA Division II Elite Eight | ||||
| 1976–77 | Cheyney State | 20–8 | 10–2 | 1st (Eastern) | NCAA Division II Elite Eight | ||||
| 1977–78 | Cheyney State | 27–2 | 12–0 | 1st (Eastern) | NCAA Division II champion | ||||
| 1978–79 | Cheyney State | 24–7 | 10–2 | 1st (Eastern) | NCAA Division II Third Place | ||||
| 1979–80 | Cheyney State | 23–5 | 12–0 | 1st (Eastern) | NCAA Division II Regional third place | ||||
| 1980–81 | Cheyney State | 21–8 | 9–3 | T–1st (Eastern) | NCAA Division II Regional third place | ||||
| 1981–82 | Cheyney State | 28–3 | 11–1 | 1st (Eastern) | NCAA Division II Elite Eight | ||||
| Cheyney State: | 225–59 (.792) | 107–19 (.849) | |||||||
| Temple Owls (Atlantic 10 Conference) (1982–2006) | |||||||||
| 1982–83 | Temple | 14–15 | 5–9 | 3rd (East) | |||||
| 1983–84 | Temple | 26–5 | 18–0 | 1st | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 1984–85 | Temple | 25–6 | 15–3 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 1985–86 | Temple | 25–6 | 15–3 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 1986–87 | Temple | 32–4 | 17–1 | 1st | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 1987–88 | Temple | 32–2 | 18–0 | 1st | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 1988–89 | Temple | 18–12 | 15–3 | 2nd | NIT First Round | ||||
| 1989–90 | Temple | 20–11 | 15–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 1990–91 | Temple | 24–10 | 13–5 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 1991–92 | Temple | 17–13 | 11–5 | 2nd | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 1992–93 | Temple | 20–13 | 8–6 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 1993–94 | Temple | 23–8 | 12–4 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 1994–95 | Temple | 19–11 | 10–6 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 1995–96 | Temple | 20–13 | 12–4 | 2nd (East) | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 1996–97 | Temple | 20–11 | 10–6 | 4th (East) | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 1997–98 | Temple | 21–9 | 13–3 | 1st (East) | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 1998–99 | Temple | 24–11 | 13–3 | 1st (East) | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 1999–00 | Temple | 27–6 | 14–2 | 1st (East) | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 2000–01 | Temple | 24–13 | 12–4 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 2001–02 | Temple | 19–15 | 12–4 | T–1st (East) | NIT Third Place | ||||
| 2002–03 | Temple | 18–16 | 10–6 | T–2nd (East) | NIT Quarterfinal | ||||
| 2003–04 | Temple | 15–14 | 9–7 | 2nd (East) | NIT First Round | ||||
| 2004–05 | Temple | 16–14 | 11–5 | 2nd (East) | NIT First Round | ||||
| 2005–06 | Temple | 17–16 | 8–8 | T–7th | NIT Opening Round | ||||
| Temple: | 516–253 (.671) | 296–100 (.747) | |||||||
| Total: | 741–312 (.704) | ||||||||
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National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
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Coaching Tree
Some assistant coaches who worked under John Chaney later became head coaches themselves:
- Dan Leibovitz - coached Hartford (2006-2010)
- Mark Macon - coached Binghamton (2009-2012)
See also
In Spanish: John Chaney (baloncestista 1932) para niños
- List of college men's basketball coaches with 600 wins
