Richmond coach Chris Mooney will miss the remainder of the season as he prepares for heart surgery next week, the school announced Friday. Assistant coach Peter Thomas will serve as the interim leader for the Spiders over their final four regular-season games and The Atlantic 10 Tournament next month. Mooney, 50, is having an "aneurysm in his ascending aorta" removed, the recovery from which is expected to take four to eight weeks.
"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. "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."
Now in his 18th season, Mooney is the school's all-time wins leader at 325 with three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 run in 2011.
"The University of Richmond and Spider Athletics are committed to doing everything possible to support Chris on his path to a full recovery," said Richmond athletic director John Hardt. "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."
