Chris Mooney stepping away temporarily due to health issues

Richmond head men’s basketball coach Chris Mooney informed players on Friday that he is stepping away from his position temporarily while he deals with some health issues. Mooney is suffering from a heart condition that requires surgery, which will take place next week.

Assistant coach Peter Thomas will serve as interim head coach in Mooney’s absence. Thomas played for the Mooney at Richmond from 2003-07 and previously served as director of basketball operations with the program (2008-13). He spent nine seasons at Campbell, including five as associate head coach, before returning to his alma mater as an assistant last year.

The Spiders have four regular season games remaining, starting with Saint Louis at home next Tuesday, plus the A-10 Tournament. They are currently 13-14 (6-8 A-10).

“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 statement. “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.”

Mooney intends to return to his position when he is able to do so, but his recovery time is expect to be 4-8 weeks which rules him out the remainder of this season.

“The University of Richmond and Spider Athletics are committed to doing everything possible to support Chris on his path to a full recovery,” said AD 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.”

credit to Richmond Athletics for the image