Author Archives: Andrew Parent

Rick Brunson charged with attempted sexual assault, other charges

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Former Temple men’s basketball standout Rick Brunson was arrested for attempted criminal sexual assault in a Life Fitness on June 25 in Vernon Hills, Ill., a Chicago suburb nestled approximately 40 minutes northwest of the city.

Per a Vernon Hills police report, Brunson grabbed a female employee of the fitness center and was subsequently charged with attempted criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse and three counts of aggravated battery. According to the report, Brunson was held on $5,000 bail.

Ironically, the arrest was dated on the same day as a report that Brunson was a leading candidate for an assistant coaching position with Temple for the 2014-15 season. According to that report, Brunson was set to be introduced for the position at some point in July.

Brunson played under former Owls coach John Chaney from 1991-95, and has since worked in some capacity with three NBA clubs after his retirement from the NBA in 2006.

His son, Jalen Brunson, is a senior at Stephenson High School and is a notable Temple target. ESPN lists the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder as its No. 1 rated point guard in the country for the class of 2015.

Former Owls star Rick Brunson to join staff as assistant

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The men’s basketball team will bring back former Owls standout Rick Brunson as an assistant coach, per a Philly.com report Wednesday.

Brunson starred with the Owls under former coach John Chaney in the 1990s and later played professionally for nine different NBA clubs in a nine-year span. He has coached as an assistant on both the college and NBA level, most recently with the Charlotte Bobcats for the 2012-13 season.

As per formal procedure, the job opening was posted on both the NCAA’s career website and Temple’s Human Resources site Tuesday, and should be officially filled within the next month.

NCAA rules limit teams to a maximum of three assistant coaches. As Brunson is set to take an on-bench assistant coaching position, one of the three current assistants will be reassigned.

Brunson expressed interest in the Owls’ head coaching job in the wake of Chaney’s retirement in 2006, fresh off his NBA career.

Brunson’s son, Jalen Brunson, will be a senior at Stevenson High this fall as the nation’s No. 1 point guard in the class of 2015. The 6-foot-1, lefty point man is rated as a five-star recruit by ESPN, and is a top Temple target while also considering Villanova, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue.

He was part of a Team USA squad that swiped the Gold Medal at the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Americas Under-18 tournament on Tuesday night, averaging 12 points and 5.6 assists in five games.

Alum named to new Athletics posititon

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After a stint of nearly three years as the Business Manager for Temple Athletics, the department recently promoted the Temple alum (’08) to Associate Athletics Director for Finance and Administration.

A sport and recreation management major in his time at Temple, Theiss will serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the department, responsible in part for managing the university’s $44 million athletic budget as well as overseeing the athletics business office.

“Tim is an extremely hard worker, and has proven invaluable during his time here at Temple,” Vice President and Athletic Director Kevin Clark said in a statement. “His knowledge of the field, and of the inner-workings of Temple Athletics make him the perfect fit for the position.”

Before hiring on with the department in 2011, Theiss had held positions in the ticket and business offices at Rutgers and Villanova from his graduation in 2008.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity,” Theiss said, per press release, “and I’m excited to continue working for my alma mater.”

Five Owls featured in Women’s National Championship, Janney coached Eagles to title

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Team USA Eagles, led by Owls coach Amanda Janney in her first year as a United States High Performance head coach, took the title at the 2014 Women’s National Championship in Lancaster via a 2-1 shootout win against USA Freedom.

Featuring five players from Temple’s 2013 roster, the championship doubled as a tryout for the 2014-15 U.S. Women’s National Team.

Rising redshirt junior Haley Mitchell was in goal for USA White, along with rising senior Lizzy Millen netminding for USA Freedom.

Forwards Amber Youtz (rising senior) and Katie Foran (rising sophomore) played for USA Courage, while graduate defender Molly Doyle also played for USA Freedom.

Graduate assistant coach Danica Deckard also competed for USA Blue, and Kelly Driscoll served as assistant coach under Janney for the Eagles.

Temple has 12 players on high performance teams this summer, with Doyle, Foran,  Millen, Alyssa Delp, Amanda Fuertsch, Paige Gross, Nicole Kroener, Ali Meszaros, Taylor Shronk and Rachel Steinman on the Pennsylvania High Performance Training Squad. Youtz and Mitchell are on the New Jersey Sqaud.

“We’re proud of our players for making the commitment to compete at the next level,” Janney said in a press release. “The high number of Temple players who made [High Performance] teams speaks volumes to this team’s dedication to improve. We want our players to dream about making the USA National team, and HP gives them the opportunity to tryout each year.”

The squad will be returning to Lancaster in the coming months to open up Temple’s 2014 campaign with the Conference Cup Tournament at the end of August.

-Nick Tricome

Midfielder Tiernan invited to US National Team Tryout

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After a strong sophomore season, Nicole Tiernan has a shot at making the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Tiernan received an invitation, along with 83 other players, to a three-day tryout at Georgetown University from June 13 to 15. Roughly 36 to 40 players will be selected to the squad from there.

The speedy midfielder ranked second on the Owls in scoring, recording 29 goals and four assists in 2014, along with 13 caused turnovers. She was also named to the All-Big East Second Team at the end of the season.

After selections are made, the team will train in preparation for the 2017 Federation of International Lacrosse Women’s World Cup in Surrey, England, where a roster of 18 players will represent the U.S.

“I am so excited for Nicole to have this opportunity,” coach Bonnie Rosen said in a press release. “She is just beginning to realize how great of a lacrosse player she can be and I am thrilled that she will get the chance this weekend to compete against, play with, and learn from the best players in the country.

“I am so proud of Nicole for being willing to go after this dream and I, along with all of her coaches and teammates, wish her the best of luck this weekend,” Rosen added.

The National Team is led by Georgetown head coach Georgetown Ricky Fried, as it looks to go for a third consecutive World Cup title.

This is the first time the team has held tryouts via invite-only.

-Nick Tricome

Temple boathouse lease nearing approval

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A little more than five months passed since the crew and rowing teams were set to get the ax this summer along with five additional university varsity sports, the two squads are close to settling into a new home.

The City Planning Commission unanimously approved a February plan to invest $5.5 million for renovations on the East Park Canoe House on Tuesday, and have the Temple crew and rowing teams lease out the site, per an NBC 10 report.

Philadelphia is infusing $2.5 million into the renovation, while Temple trustee and new Philadelphia Inquirer owner Gerry Lenfest donated the remaining $3 million.

February’s unprecedented reversal of the decision to cut the crew and rowing teams turned around a series of trying events for both squads, which included the city’s decision to condemn the Canoe House in 2008 and culminated in December’s initial decision to cut both programs.

Tuesday’s approval brought the process one step closer to finalization, as the plan will go to City Council for final approval.

Temple hosts second annual Harrow Cup

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Temple field hockey coach Amanda Janney reflected on last year’s inaugural Harrow Cup as a “great weekend of hockey.”

The 2014 version featured more of the same in what turned out to be a comfortable, sunny weekend at Geasey Field that attracted numerous alumni.

The Mambas, featuring several Temple names, won the post-collegiate tournament and the $10,000 prize to go with it.

Assistant coach and Old Dominion alum Kelly Driscoll captained the Mambas and played in goal, with the team also including Janney, a Wake Forest alum, graduate assistant coach and Ohio State alum Danica Deckard, Alli Lokey (‘08) and newly-dubbed alumni Molly Doyle and Mandi Shearer (‘14).

Other Temple alumni in the tournament included Haley Dervinis for the Titans (’04), Bridget Settles for the Tembos (’12) and Caryn Lambright for the Tomahawks (’12), along with current athletic advisor and University of Iowa alum Sarah Pergine for the Vipers.

Temple hosted the event for the second straight year, with Driscoll and the Mambas posting a repeat performance.

The mission of the Harrow Cup is to promote post-collegiate field hockey and offer an opportunity for alumni to keep playing.

It’s not official if Temple will continue hosting the tournament, but Janney said she certainly hopes so.

-Nick Tricome

Mobley out as head coach

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After six years, Eric Mobley announced his resignation as head coach of the track & field program Friday night, effective June 30.

Mobley’s resignation will take effect one day before the men’s indoor and outdoor track teams is slated to be eliminated from the university’s athletic program.

Mobley was hired as head coach of the men’s and women’s programs in 2008, and oversaw consistent progress in the program that included a women’s Athletic 10 Conference Championship in 2010 and numerous NCAA Regional and National individual qualifications.

The announcement comes after a tumultuous 2013-14 campaign for both Mobley and the program. Along with the December cuts, Mobley and assistant athletic director Kristen Foley have been co-defendants in a harassment law suit involving former Temple thrower Ebony Moore since last summer.

Phillies draft Hockenberry

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Roughly two weeks after Matt Hockenberry’s final start in a Temple uniform, the Philadelphia Phillies drafted the senior pitcher with the 262nd overall pick in the ninth round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft Friday.

The Hanover, Pa. native enjoyed a breakout season with the Owls in 2014, posting a 3.18 earned run average with 71 strikeouts in 93.1 innings of work despite a 5-6 record.

His ERA shattered his previous personal mark of 5.04, set last year. In his final start for the Owls, none of Houston’s three runs against him were earned as Hockenberry scattered eight hits, punched out six and took the loss in an error-laden 3-0 defeat to the Cougars on May 21.

Upon his selection at No. 262, Hockenberry marked the sixth collegiate pitcher and eighth collegiate player to be taken by the Phillies.

American announces women’s basketball format

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It’s not as big of a change as the one the Owls faced a year ago with their move to a new conference, but the Owls’ second year in the American Athletic Conference will feature a few differences.

The American announced its scheduling model for the next two seasons, along with an 11-team conference championship bracket due to the additions of East Carolina, Tulane and Tulsa Universities.

Each team will play an 18-game conference schedule, facing eight of ten opponents twice in home and home action, and another two once each. One of those single conference matchups in 2014-15 is guaranteed to be at home.

The complete schedule for the 2014-15 season won’t be released until August, but Temple will play every team in the conference twice with the exception of East Carolina and Tulsa. Temple will host East Carolina, so the Owls will have to go on the road to play Tulsa.

Temple, as well as the rest of the American teams, will have the same home and home opponents scheduled for the 2015-16 season, while the single-game opponents will switch sites, meaning Temple will travel to East Carolina and then play Tulsa at home after this upcoming season.

All 11 teams will play in the conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The tournament will be played March 6-9.

Games between the No. 9 and No. 8 seeds, the No. 10 and No. 7 seeds, and the No. 11 and No. 6 seeds will get things started on the sixth. The winners of each game will then play against the top three seeds, who get automatic byes into the quarterfinal round on Saturday. The No. 5 and No. 4 seeds will also face-off on Saturday.

Temple had a turbulent 2013-14 campaign, finishing 14-16 in the regular season, then bowing out with an early quarterfinal exit in the conference tournament via a 72-44 loss to the No. 3 seeded South Florida.

-Nick Tricome