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Bill Courtney, a longtime college basketball coach who served as an assistant for the Temple Owls men’s team, has died, the school announced Tuesday. He was 55 years old.
Courtney’s cause of death was not revealed. Temple described it as a “sudden passing” in her announcement.
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Miami Hurricanes interim head coach Bill Courtney watches during the second half against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum on Jan. 4, 2025. (Peter Casey/Image Images)
“I was shocked and saddened to learn of the coach’s sudden passing,” Temple athletic director Arthur Johnson said in a statement. “In the short time he has been a part of the Temple family, I saw the impact 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 basketball community at large.”
Courtney joined head coach Adam Fisher’s staff in June, bringing with him three decades of basketball knowledge.
Fisher said in a statement that Courtney’s death left him “shocked and heartbroken.”
Then-Miami interim head coach Bill Courtney gestures during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)
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“Bill made a huge impact on our program in such a short time,” he added. “He was one of the most respected coaches in the country: thoughtful, prepared and deeply committed to the game and winning the right way. Bill improved every program he touched, and his loss is deeply felt by everyone who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bill’s family during this extremely difficult time.”
Courtney had been on the benches at American, Bowling Green, George Mason, Providence, Virginia, Virginia Tech and DePaul. He was head coach at Cornell from 2010 to 2016 and interim head coach at Miami during the 2024-25 season.
“In more than 30 years of coaching basketball, Courtney had a profound impact on his colleagues and student-athletes,” said AFC Commissioner Tim Pernetti. “He helped lead Miami to the Final Four and schedule nine postseason tournaments, but his effect on the lives of the student-athletes and coaches who worked with him will be his defining legacy.”
Miami Hurricanes head coach Bill Courtney on the sideline against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first half at McCamish Pavilion on March 4, 2025. (Brett Davis/Image Images)
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Courtney earned 63 wins as a college basketball head coach.
