Bill Courtney, Temple's men's assistant basketball coach, dies at 55
Temple University assistant men's basketball coach Bill Courtney has died suddenly, the school announced Tuesday. He was 55.
"I am shocked and heartbroken by the tragic news and passing of my close friend Bill Courtney," Temple head coach Adam Fisher said in a statement. "Bill made such a big impact on our program in such a short time. He was one of the most respected coaches in the country — thoughtful, prepared, and deeply committed to the game and to winning the right way. Bill made every program he touched better, and his loss is felt profoundly by everyone who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bill's family during this extremely difficult time."
Courtney was in his first season on the Owls' coaching staff. He joined Temple in June after spending five seasons on the University of Miami's coaching staff. Last season, he served as Miami's interim head coach for the final 29 games after Jim Larrañaga retired.
Courtney was the head coach of Cornell University from 2010 to 2016. He was hired after Steve Donahue, who is now the head coach at Saint Joseph's University, left for Boston College. In his career, he served on the coaching staffs of American, Bowling Green, George Mason, Providence, Virginia, Virginia Tech and DePaul.
In his three-decade-plus coaching career, Courtney coached in three NCAA Tournaments, four NITs and two CBIs.
"I was shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of coach Bill Courtney," Temple athletic director Arthur Johnson said in a statement. "In the short time that he has been part of the Temple family, I saw the impact that he had on our program with the joy that exuded from him on and off the court. He will be missed by his immediate family, his Temple basketball family, and the greater basketball community."
Courtney, a native of Alexandria, Virginia, played college basketball at Bucknell University, where he earned All-Patriot League honors and remains the school's all-time leader in points and assists. He was inducted into the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.
Temple said it will share information on memorial arrangements when it becomes available.