Temple University Athletics
ALL-TIME GREAT MARK MACON NAMED ASSISTANT MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
9.29.03 | Men's Basketball
"We are blessed to be able to bring back one of the finest young men to play basketball here at Temple University as an assistant coach," said Chaney. "Mark is a remarkable man, both on and off the court, and our young players can truly learn something from being around him."
"It is an honor to start my coaching career under the tutelage of Coach Chaney," added Macon. "As a young man it was a goal of mine to learn everything I could from him as a player. Now, I have been given a great opportunity to do the same in the coaching profession. There is no better person to learn from in regards to coaching and life than John Chaney."
The only four-time first team all-Atlantic 10 Conference performer in the league's 27-year history, Macon exploded onto the college basketball scene as a freshman in 1987-88. The Saginaw, Mich. native led Temple to a #1 ranking in the final Associated Press poll, a 32-2 overall record and a spot in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. He was named first team All-American by the Basketball Times and second team by the Associated Press. He also garnered UPI and USBWA National Freshman of the Year honors that season.
The gifted two guard would go on to lead the Owls in scoring the following three seasons, earning honorable mention All-America honors in each. He saved his best for his last season on the North Broad campus, leading the Owls to a memorable run to the NCAA Eastern Regional finals where Temple fell just short of a berth in the Final Four. Macon, who led the A-10 in scoring with a career-best 22.0 points per game average, was named the regional's outstanding performer after scoring 31 points and grabbing nine rebounds in his final collegiate game, a 75-72 loss to North Carolina.
Selected with the eighth pick of the 1991 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, Macon would play six seasons in the NBA for both the Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons, scoring 1,685 career points. He later played professionally overseas for three seasons, playing for teams in Venezuela, Italy and China.
The 34-year-old Macon has given back to the community since his graduation from Temple in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. In 1991 he established the Mark Macon Foundation, a non-profit entity that provided funds to various charity organizations. Macon, a Philadelphia resident, most recently worked as the physical program director for the Abington YMCA, where he facilitated youth and adult recreation programs.
