Temple assistant Chris Clark is heading back to his alma mater to coach St. Joe’s Prep

Chris Clark is heading back to his alma mater, St. Joseph’s Prep, to coach its basketball team while serving as assistant athletic director, the school announced Thursday.

Clark spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach at Temple, where he also played under legendary coaches John Chaney and Fran Dunphy from 2004 to 2008. Now, after 17 seasons on the college coaching scene, he’s making a change.

“It’s really difficult to put into words,” said Clark, who graduated from the Prep in 2004. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the boys’ basketball program at the Prep and to develop young men into leaders, fathers, and husbands — it means the world to me. That’s something that truly brings me joy and fulfills me.”

Leaving Temple, however, wasn’t easy, nor was it a decision he planned on making. After former Prep coach Jason Harrigan left the program in early May, Clark received a call from the school’s athletic director, Daniel DiBerardinis, asking if he would be interested in the position.

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At first, Clark was taken aback.

“I love Temple; I got a great opportunity here. We’re building the program with Adam Fisher‚" Clark said. “It’s not something I ever thought about. I didn’t think about being a high school coach.”

A week later, he got another phone call from the Prep, and that’s when he started to consider it. Head coaching jobs don’t always present themselves in this manner, and Clark knows that. He also felt that it could be a better fit for his family.

And he wanted the chance to run his own program.

“I’ve been spoiled and lucky to be around the coaches that I’ve been around my entire life,” Clark said. “I want to make people better. I want to impact lives. I want to make a difference — I know that’s cliche, but the wins and losses will come and go, but I want these guys to know I’m there for them.”

Clark believes the Prep’s basketball program can be a national powerhouse. The Hawks last won a Catholic League championship in 2004, when Clark was a senior and helped defend their title from the previous season.

Speedy Morris coached Clark — along with other former college players in John Griffin (now head coach at Bucknell), Mark Zoller, and Reggie Redding (a player development coach for the 76ers) — on those title-winning teams.

In many ways, Griffin said, Morris’ path from coaching a Division I program at La Salle to the Prep is similar to Clark’s path, and maybe that winning tradition will follow.

“It gave us an advantage,” Griffin said of being coached by Morris. “We had a competitive advantage. Our practices were built like Division I practices — I think this is very similar. Circumstances are slightly different, but this is a Division I, highly experienced coach coming back to his alma mater. He’s going to bring something very similar to what Speedy brought.”

Another Catholic League program will be searching for a new head coach. Roman Catholic announced that Chris McNesby, a 1995 graduate of the school, will be stepping down.

During two tenures — 12 seasons altogether — McNesby led the Cahillites to four PCL titles, three state championships, and an overall record of 270-73.

“Serving as the head coach of Roman Catholic Basketball has truly been a dream come true — an opportunity to build lifelong friendships with so many incredible young men and dedicated staff members,” McNesby said in a release from the school. “Roman basketball is more than just a program; it is a cornerstone of Philadelphia basketball tradition, and I have been honored to be a part of it.”

According to some media reports, Brad Wanamaker, a Roman grad who played professionally and was an assistant to McNesby on last year’s team, is a top candidate to fill the vacancy.

Camden is still searching for a new boys’ basketball coach after Maalik Wayns stepped down on May 13. Wayns, who played at Roman and Villanova, led the Panthers for three seasons and won a state championship in 2024. He’s heading to Skyline Prep in Phoenix as its basketball program director and head coach.

Germantown Academy also added a new coach on May 29. John Cox, who spent six years on the La Salle men’s basketball staff, will serve as the school’s head boys’ basketball coach and associate athletic director. Cox is the cousin of the late Kobe Bryant and attended George Washington Carver High School, where he finished with 1,798 career points.