Richmonds Chris Mooney to undergo heart surgery, miss remainder of season

Richmond men’s basketball coach Chris Mooney will have heart surgery next week and miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season, the school announced Friday. Assistant Peter Thomas will serve as interim head coach during Mooney’s recovery, which is expected to last four to eight weeks.

Mooney, 50, is undergoing a procedure to remove an aneurysm in his ascending aorta, the school says. He is in his 18th season helming the program, making him the longest-tenured active head coach in the Atlantic 10.

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“The University of Richmond and Spider Athletics are committed to doing everything possible to support Chris on his path to a full recovery,” Richmond athletic director John Hardt said in a release Friday. “Our main focus is ensuring that Chris has the time and space to prioritize his health and his family during this period. We look forward to having Chris back on campus leading Spider Basketball when he is fully recovered and ready to resume his duties.”

Since assuming the role prior to the 2005-06 season, Mooney has compiled a program-record 325 wins and seven 20-win seasons. During the 2021-22 campaign, Mooney helped lead the Spiders to their second-ever A-10 championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. Richmond defeated No. 5 seed Iowa in the first round before bowing out to No. 4 seed Providence in the Round of 32.

Richmond is 13-14 overall and 6-8 in A-10 play this season. The team returns to action in its first game without Mooney on Tuesday against Saint Louis.

“I want to thank Richmond Athletics leadership, my coaching staff, and our players for doing everything they can to make a difficult situation a little bit easier,” Mooney said in a release.

“I’m grateful to have a tremendous medical team to rely on, and I’m thankful to have the opportunity to fully focus on my health for the next few weeks. During that time, I’m confident that Peter Thomas, the rest of our coaches, and our players will rise to the challenge and have a successful end to the season.”

(Photo: G Fiume / Getty Images)

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