Temple Owls

From Hoopedia

On the hardwood, Temple is recognized as having won the first-ever National Collegiate championship in 1938, under Coach James Usilton. That Owls team, which finished with a sparkling 23-2 record, won the inaugural National Invitation Tournament by routing Colorado 60-36 in the championship final. Because the NCAA Tournament was not held until the following year, Temple's NIT championship earned the Owls national title recognition. During the 1950s, the Temple basketball team made two NCAA Final Four appearances (1956, 1958) under legendary Head Coach Harry Litwack. Litwack would be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame after concluding a 21-year coaching career that included 373 wins. Under Head Coach John Chaney, also a Hall of Famer, the Owls enhanced the tradition of excellence, having made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 16 seasons, including a school-record 10 straight following the 1998-99 campaign. Current NBA stars Eddie Jones of the Miami Heat, Aaron McKie of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Rick Brunson of the New York Knicks continue to enhance Temple's proud basketball heritage.

On March 13,2006, Hall of Fame head coach John Chaney retired. Dan Leibovitz served as acting head coach

On April 10, 2006, former University of Pennsylvania head coach and La Salle University alumnus Fran Dunphy was named Temple's Mens Head Basketball coach. Dunphy had coached the Quakers for the previous 17 seasons and comes to Temple to revitalize a program that has not made the NCAA tournament in the previous 5 seasons.