Chaney says it’s time to step aside

PHILADELPHIA – John Chaney retired Monday after 24 seasons as Temple’s men’s basketball coach, ending a Hall of Fame career in which his temper sometimes got the better of him.

Chaney, 74, a fiery sideline presence admired as much for his mentoring as his success on the court, guided Temple to five NCAA regional finals and 17 NCAA tournament appearances and was twice the national coach of the year.

This season, Temple (17-14) made the NIT for the fifth straight season, a dramatic decline from when it was an NCAA tournament regular.

“I have said all along that I would know when it would be time to step down and now is that time,” Chaney said. “I want to thank Temple University, its fans and community for allowing me to do what I love for so long. It has never been a job for me, but a passion.”

Chaney will not coach the Owls’ opening NIT game against Akron tonight because of his wife’s health. It was not clear if Chaney would return to the bench if Temple won. Assistant Dan Leibovitz will coach today.

At a news conference, Chaney wiped away tears from behind sunglasses and talked at length about a favorite subject – education’s role in helping the poor and disadvantaged.

Chaney has 741 wins as a college coach, including a 516-252 record at Temple in which he won six Atlantic 10 Conference titles.

He was a father figure for players who often came to Temple from broken homes, violent neighborhoods and bad schools. Chaney talked about life nearly as much as he taught the intricacies of his matchup zone defense. He frequently said his biggest goal was to give poor kids a chance to get an education.

“They just want to bounce the ball and dribble the ball, but I talk about things that are going to stay with them for the rest of their lives,” Chaney said Monday. “Somewhere along the line, it will reverberate and they’ll remember it.”