Temple announces death of assistant basketball coach Bill Courtney

The Temple Owls have announced the death of assistant basketball coach Bill Courtney. He had been with the Temple basketball program since June of 2025.

An extremely experienced basketball coach who was the head coach at Cornell from 2010 to 2016, he was brought in by third year head coach Adam Fisher. The two had previously worked together when they were both assistant coaches at Miami.

“I am shocked and heartbroken by the tragic news and passing of my close friend Bill Courtney,” Adam Fisher said. “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.”

From 1988 to 1992, Courtney played for Bucknell. Shortly thereafter, he would begin his coaching career at the high school level. In 1995, he made the jump to coaching college, starting at American. That would then evolve into jobs at Bowling Green, George Mason, Providence, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, before he got the head coaching job at Cornell.

While at Cornell, Courtney put together a 60-113 record overall and a 27-57 record in Ivy League play. His best finish came in 2012, when he led the Big Red to a fifth place finish in the Ivy League. Two other times, he would tie for fifth.

“I was shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of coach Bill Courtney,” Vice President/Debbie & Stanley Lefkowitz ’65 Director of Athletics Arthur Johnson said. “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.”

Following his time at Cornell, Bill Courtney coached at DePaul and later Miami. With the Hurricanes, he would help them reach the Final Four. He would also take over as the interim head coach there during the 2024-25 season, going 3-16 in a difficult situation.

A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Courtney was respected throughout college coaching circles. He also coached in three NCAA Tournaments, four NITs, and two CBI appearances, amounting to nine postseason tournaments.

Temple did not announce a cause of death for Bill Courtney. Further information regarding a memorial is expected in the future. He was 55 years old.