PHILADELPHIA, PA, December 11, 2022 —Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson (Second District) presented a City Council citation to Maria Chaney and John Chaney Jr., the son of legendary Temple University Men’s Head basketball Coach John Chaney, during the inaugural John Chaney Memorial High School Showcase at Ben Franklin High School.
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Hall of Fame Coach Chaney led Temple University’s men’s basketball team for 24 years before retiring in 2006. Chaney was celebrated for his success on the court. But also for the values he instilled in his players: discipline, teamwork, commitment, excellence, and execution.
Coach Chaney began his coaching career at Philadelphia’s Sayre Junior High (now Sayre High School) and then moved to Simon Gratz High in North Philadelphia.
Chaney’s teams, first at Cheyney University (then Cheney State) in Cheyney, Pa. where he won the 1978 NCAA Division II national championship, and later at Temple, played hard-nosed basketball, reminiscent of Chaney’s playing days at Bethune-Cookman College in Florida. Chaney won 516 games in all with the Owls, a Temple record.
Chaney died in January 2021 at the age of 89.
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The City Council citation was presented to the Chaney family during halftime of the West Philadelphia High School vs. St. Joseph’s Prep game. Six of the best boys’ high school basketball teams in the Greater Philadelphia Region were at Ben Franklin High School that day, participating in the John Chaney Memorial Showcase presented by the All City Classic. The first game was Ben Franklin High School vs. Franklin Learning Center. The second game was West Philadelphia High School vs. St. Joseph’s Prep, and the final game was Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School vs. Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School of Philadelphia.
The mission of the John Chaney Memorial Showcase is to honor the legacy of the late coach in Philadelphia sports history and to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Coach Chaney was a strong supporter of the hospital, and the proceeds from the Memorial Showcase will be donated to them.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
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Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, a former Pennsylvania State Representative, represents the 2nd Council District, which includes parts of Center City, South Philadelphia, and Southwest Philadelphia. He is Chairman of City Council’s Committees on Rules and on Transportation and Utilities, as well as the Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention.
