Temple assistant men’s basketball coach Bill Courtney dies
Bill Courtney, 55, joined the Temple men's basketball coaching staff this past summer. He was the former head coach at Cornell.
Temple assistant men’s basketball coach Bill Courtney died suddenly at the age of 55, the school announced Tuesday morning.
“I am shocked and heartbroken by the tragic news and passing of my close friend Bill Courtney,” Temple 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.”
Mr. Courtney was in his first season with the Owls. He joined Fisher’s staff after spending six seasons in assistant and associate head coaching roles at Miami. He stepped in as Miami’s interim head coach for 19 games last season after Jim Larrañaga retired. Mr. Courtney was the head coach at Cornell from 2010 to 2016, and before that, he spent time as an assistant at Virginia Tech, Virginia, Providence, George Mason, Bowling Green, and American.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Temple men’s basketball assistant coach Bill Courtney,” said Tim Pernetti, commissioner of the American Conference. “In over 30 years as a basketball coach, Courtney had a profound impact on his colleagues and student-athletes.
“He helped lead Miami to the Final Four and programs to nine postseason tournaments, but his [effect] on the lives of the student-athletes and coaches who worked with him will be his ultimate legacy.”
A native of Alexandria, Va., Mr. Courtney played at Bucknell University, where he was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007 and remains among the program’s all-time leaders in points and assists. He graduated from Bucknell in 1992 with a degree in education.
Temple (11-5, 3-0 American) is scheduled to play at Memphis on Wednesday night.
“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,” Temple athletic director Arthur Johnson said in a statement. “He will be missed by his immediate family, his Temple basketball family, and the greater basketball community.”
Mr. Courtney is survived by his wife, Gina, and two sons, Billy and Derek.
The school said information regarding memorial services will be announced later.