DAYTON– While coach John Chaney was busy trying to prepare Temple for Thursday’s Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinal game against Richmond, the situation surrounding Temple assistant coach Nate Blackwell had diverted some attention away from the game, one the Owls eventually won, 66-52, to advance to tonight’s semifinal against Xavier.
Chaney suspended Blackwell last week after he failed to show up for the Owls’ final home game against La Salle. Prior to that, Chaney said Blackwell had been in a car accident and had told him not come into work until he was feeling better.
But by late Sunday night, reports were surfacing that the 38-year-old Blackwell, who will be missing the A-10 tournament for the second year in row, had not been in contact with neither his family nor Chaney. In addition, a report by NBC 10’s Howard Eskin said Blackwell has allegedly been battling substance abuse problems and also was accused of stealing from the players’ locker room.
Chaney dismissed all of these reports and said none of the players came to him about any thefts. Last year, Chaney said, Blackwell had just bought a house and was dealing with a very sick child, so he gave his assistant permission to take some time off.
This time around, Chaney admits he doesn’t know what the problem is with Blackwell. It was reported earlier this week that Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw was in contact with Blackwell and that he was OK.
Temple must win the A-10 tournament championship to qualify for the NCAA tournament. As difficult as it might be, it would behoove the Owls to avoid such distractions as the absence of Blackwell.
“We don’t really pay no attention to it,” junior guard David Hawkins said. “I don’t even know about it. I don’t read the papers. I don’t ask about it.”
Chaney and Bradshaw refuse to comment on the situation anymore, and players are not allowed to speak in depth about the situation that is resonating with ambiguity.
“We can’t really talk about all that, but we just wish him the best,” sophomore forward Hawley Smith said.
Blackwell’s title as first assistant is a big responsibility. While Chaney still is an effective motivator, the role of Blackwell had increased exponentially. Instead of Chaney always communicating with players on the court, Blackwell had taken some of the load off him.
Chaney’s bout with pneumonia earlier this season caused him to miss two games, leaving Blackwell as the man in charge. The Owls still have assistants Dan Leibovitz and Bill Ellerbee on the bench, but being short one assistant puts a heavier workload on them as far as scouting teams, players, and preparing the team as a whole.
“The coaches got a lot to do with it, but it’s really all about the team, because we’re out there playing,” Hawkins said. “Nate, Coach Leibovitz, they’re not going to score a point for Temple.”
Blackwell was Chaney’s first recruit at Temple, a guy Chaney refers to as his “first born”. He starred for the Owls from 1984-87, winning the A-10 Player of the Year award as a senior. He is also the school’s fifth all-time leading scorer and fourth all-time in career assists.
After joining Chaney on the bench as a graduate assistant coach, he spent four years at Coppin State as an assistant, only to return to his alma mater, where he has been for seven years now. As the story continues to unfold, it appears Blackwell has seen his last days as Chaney’s right-hand man.
“You got to be concerned and want to know what’s going on,” Hawkins said. “But at the same time, you worry about that once the season’s over. Right now we got a championship we’re concerned with.”
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