Stringer: Chaney deserved to be in Big East
Temple college sports - basketball, football and more - covered by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey.
Stringer: Chaney deserved to be in Big East
Keith Pompey, Inquirer Staff Writer
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Rutgers women’s basketball coach Vivian Stringer is elated that Temple is set to become one of the newest members of the Big East Conference.
The Owls will become a football member next season. Temple will join for all other sports in 2013-14.
“They should have been in the Big East,” she said at the Big East’s spring meetings. “John Chaney, that’s where he deserved to be playing.”
Chaney guided the Temple men’s basketball program to 17 NCAA tournament appearances – including five NCAA regional finals – during his 24-season career on North Broad Street. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of the Fame, Chaney compiled 741 wins as a college coach before retiring in 2006. The coach was 516-252 at Temple, where he won seven Atlantic 10 titles.
“The thing I most regret is I wish they would have been in the Big East when he was there,” said Stringer, who along with Chaney coached at Cheyney State in the 1970s. “ I got to believe that probably one of the biggest reasons [Temple wasn’t an all-sports Big East member] was because of him.
“You know, because the man was just brilliant.”
While she wouldn’t name specific member institutions, Stringer believes Temple was previously blocked from joining the Big East.
“Whatever reason that happened,” she said. “It was the politics of it or whatever. But I think throughout the country, we’ve seen a number of programs who have made it their business to make sure other programs don’t get in. And I’m not talking about just the Big East, I’m talking about everywhere.”
If one really looks, it becomes evident that Temple for whatever reasons seems to get slighted on a variety of levels. For instance, when a big thing does happen for Temple (like joining the Big East) it is glossed over by the media such as ESPN. Another school who is not a big name school would get much more press. Being passed over for a bowl game 2 years ago with 8 wins (never happened before to anyone else!) is another example and there are many others. Take a close look and you'll see what I mean. Can't explain it but its frustrating and maddening. None-the-less, Go Owls.- Now that Meatball Marinatto's gone, the Big East will restore its former glory. I, for one, can't wait for the renewal of the SDSU-Memphis football rivalry.... it's the stuff legends are made from. Have fun playing UCF and Navy in hoops, Owl fans.— ghostofozark
- Now that Meatball Marinatto's gone, the Big East will restore its former glory. I, for one, can't wait for the renewal of the SDSU-Memphis football rivalry.... it's the stuff legends are made from. Have fun playing UCF and Navy in hoops, Owl fans.— ghostofozark
- Except that Navy won't be in the Big East for hoops...nice try — zomgplayoff
- Love Coach Chaney but he WAS the reason Temple didn't play Big East basketball. He gave his word to the A-10 that Temple wouldn't jump to another conference and he kept it. Hard to believe that a basketball coach actually had integrity.— bsmart
- Bsmart is correct-Chaney favored loyalty over moving to a "bigger conference". Stringer is wrong- Temple never needed the Big East to show their worth to the country.— shirleyf
- Cheney was a bully and a racist. He is lucky he lasted as long as he did.— StorminNorman
- Navy will be a football member only.— damnels
- Seriously, Cheney was a joke. You are correct, Temple deserves the Big Least.— daytonhawk
- It was never about Cheney. It was about Villanova being scared of Temple. In the comming years watch how Villanova dissapears from the national scene as Temple is known as Philadelphia's team.— Clifton
- Hey Stormin - I'm a white guy and got to meet John Chaney in person...he's a super nice guy and one of the best experience of my life so hold back on the racist comments because it's simply not true! The man has integrity and maybe (just maybe) he had enough of John Calipari's antics. Think about it...Coach Calipari at Umass (NCAA violations), Memphis (DRose SAT score tampering) and Kentucky (we'll eventually find out)....if you are a man of integrity this type of thing starts to bother you especially when you are loosing year-in and year-out to a cheater. Just hold back on the racist comments— wjmtemple
- I agree completely with wjmtemple, except for the end where he said Temple was losing year-in, year-out to UMass. That was simply not true, as during the entire Chaney era, Temple always had success against UMass. They only period where UMass was not dominated by Temple was 1992-1996 in the Atlantic 10 Tournament finals. Not during the regular season where it was almost even.— VarunK.
- @wjmtemple, My apologies. I did not realize there were instances where racism is justified.— StorminNorman
Pompey is a native Philadelphian and a University of Pittsburgh graduate. Follow him on Twitter @pompeysgridlock. Reach Keith at kpompey@phillynews.com.
