RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — University of Richmond men’s basketball head coach Chris Mooney is stepping away from the team for the rest of the season due to a heart issue.
Mooney made the announcement in a press conference at the Robin’s Center on Friday.
He said went to have a routine physical about a month ago and a scan found an aneurysm in his ascending aorta. Removing the aneurysm will require surgery, which will be done at the University of Virginia Medical Center next week.
Mooney has coached at Richmond for the past 18 seasons and has the most wins in program history.
“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,” said Mooney in a statement released by the university. “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.
Assistant Coach Peter Thomas will serve as the interim during Mooney’s recovery.
