WHEREAS, Coach Chaney achieved success at all levels of competition in the field of basketball. As a player, he was the 1951 High School Public League Player of the year, earned NAIA All-America honors and was the NAIA Tournament MVP in 1953 at Bethune Cookman College. After a season with the Harlem Globetrotters (1955), he further distinguished himself in the Eastern Pro League by playing in seven all-star game seven times earning the MVP award in both 1959 and 1960; and
WHEREAS, Coach Chaney began his coaching career at Sayre Junior High School where he won 59 out of 68 games. After his tenure there, he moved onto Simon Gratz High School and quickly turned a struggling 1-17 club into a perennial winner; and
WHEREAS, At the helm of Cheney State’s Wolves, Coach Chaney posted a win-loss mark of 225-59 (.792) and guided his team to eight NCAA Division II Tournament berths and a 1978 championship title. Despite a grueling schedule, Coach Chaney found time to, and also took great pleasure in, teaching philosophy at Cheyney- for which he was awarded the State of Pennsylvania Distinguished Faculty Award in 1979; and
WHEREAS, Under his leadership. Temple University holds outstanding records which include ranking sixth among winningest programs of all time with a total of 1,571 wins, 17-12 of them being consecutive- NCAA Tournaments appearances with a record that stands 23-17 (.575), five regional finals and two straight Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Titles; and
WHEREAS, His 29-year collegiate coaching career includes a 656-238 record with a winning percentage of .733, being named Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the year five times, National Coach of the Year in 1988 and 1978 NCAA Division II Coach of the Year. For these and other contributions to the game of Basketball, Coach Chaney will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on October 5, 2001; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his laudable sports accomplishments, Coach Chaney’s humanitarian efforts, community involvement and high moral character distinguish him as a “Man among Men” with a genuine humility seen far too rarely in this day and time; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby honor, commend, and express sincere appreciation on behalf of all our citizenry to Mr. John Chaney, a Coach “extraordinare” who, as one of the most nationally recognizable figure in basketball, has helped put Philadelphia teams on the map and is justly deserving of induction into the prestigious Hall of Fame.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Coach John Chaney, further evidencing the grateful appreciation and high commendation of this legislative body. We wish him tremendous success in all future endeavors and extend to him our heartfelt gratitude for his unselfish giving to our fair City.
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