Temple’s Chaney Is Suspended : Basketball: The coach apologizes for threatening to kill Massachusetts’ Calipari after game.

John Chaney, Temple coach, was suspended for one game Monday, a day after he publicly threatened to kill Massachusetts Coach John Calipari.

Chaney apologized for his outburst after the Owls’ 56-55 loss to 13th-ranked Massachusetts. But Temple President Peter Liacouras suspended Chaney from Wednesday night’s game at St. Bonaventure.

“Coach Chaney overstepped the line this time,” Liacouras said in a statement. “I believe the university must pursue the highest standards in competition, and even his sincere apology, he agrees, is insufficient in these circumstances.”

The Atlantic 10 Conference said it is investigating the incident.

It was the first time Chaney has been disciplined in 12 years during which he led the Owls to nine NCAA tournament appearances.

In a statement released by Temple’s athletic department, Chaney extended his apology “to everyone for yesterday’s unfortunate incident following the basketball game . . . to the Atlantic 10 Conference, the University of Massachusetts, the teams, those persons who were present and those who witnessed the incident, everyone.”

Chaney planned no further comment, spokesman Gerry Emig said.

Temple spokeswoman Harriet Goodheart said Liacouras would not comment beyond the statement.

Before Chaney’s outburst, Calipari was seen berating the referees in the hallway after the game and was still complaining vociferously about the officiating as he waited his turn at the microphone at a postgame news conference.

Chaney then charged the podium where Calipari stood. Three Massachusetts players moved quickly to intervene, and Chaney was restrained before reaching Calipari.

“I’ll kill you,” Chaney was heard to say. “You remember that.” He also said he would have his players confront Massachusetts players when the teams play again in Philadelphia on Feb. 24.

When order was restored, Calipari said: “Some things never cease to amaze me. And I am going to leave it at that. I am not going to comment any further either here or on radio or television.”

Moments before the outburst, a milder Chaney had said: “We made some bad decisions at the end. We didn’t make the stops we usually make. And some of it was due to my own poor judgment.”

It wasn’t the first time the successful coaches had tangled. They had to be separated in Amherst, Mass., in 1990 after getting into a shoving match at midcourt during a triple-overtime game.