KANSAS CITY, Mo. – One of the most respected coaches in men’s college basketball, long-time Temple University head coach John Chaney, who passed away in January, is the 2021 recipient of the Metropolitan Award presented by Nike for long and outstanding service to men’s college basketball.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches will present the storied award, first presented in 1941, posthumously to Chaney’s son, John Chaney, Jr., during the virtual NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Show on Friday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m. (EDT) The awards show will be live streamed on Stadium.
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Chaney guided the Owls’ program for 24 years, earning two national coach of the year honors. Under Chaney, Temple reached postseason play 23 times, including 17 berths in the NCAA tournament. He retired from coaching in 2006 while remaining a tireless supporter of the program.
“John was one of the most unique personalities college basketball has ever seen, and of course, one of its most decorated coaches as well. His on-court achievements speak for themselves, having won over 700 career games and numerous conference titles,” said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. “He also was not afraid to fight for what was right off the court, notably through his public opposition of inequitable academic standards in the late 1980s. John was a staunch advocate for student-athletes, positioning them for success well beyond their college years.”
Prior to his tenure at Temple, Cheyney coached for 10 years at Cheyney University. His teams were dominant in NCAA Division II, appearing in eight national tournaments with a NCAA championship in 1978.
Aside from his outstanding record of success on the basketball court, Chaney inspired his players to value the educational opportunity that college offered as a pathway to a successful life. He ran early morning practices to allow his players, many that came from challenging backgrounds, to go to classes, and continued to be a presence in the lives of his student-athletes after graduation.
The Metropolitan Award has a long and storied history, which began in New York City. The Metropolitan Basketball Association presented its first Metropolitan Award in 1941 to legendary City College of New York coach Nat Holman and followed that a year later with Ned Irish, who first brought college basketball to Madison Square Garden.
Over eight decades, the most famous names in men’s college basketball have been honored with the award, including Adolph Rupp, Clair Bee, Henry Iba, John Wooden, Dave Gavitt and John Thompson, Jr.
A complete list of Metropolitan Award recipients is available here.
