John Chaney, 89, Temple's commanding basketball coach, dies

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — John Chaney, one of the nation’s leading Black coaches during a Hall of Fame career at Temple, has died.

He 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.

He often said his biggest goal was to give poor kids a chance at an education. John Chaney was 89 years old.