Rick Brunson to join Temple basketball staff

Former Temple player Rick Brunson is set to join the Owls men's basketball staff as an assistant coach, a source said.

Brunson is the father of Jalen Brunson, the nation's No. 1 high school point guard. Jalen Brunson listed Temple last month in his top eight schools.

Rick Brunson starred at Temple in the 1990s, played professionally for a decade, and has been an assistant coach in both college and the NBA. He spent the 2012-2013 season with the Charlotte Bobcats.

The position was posted to the NCAA's career website on Tuesday and is expected to be filled within the next month. Brunson will be an on-bench assistant, which means a current assistant will be reassigned. NCAA rules allow each team a maximum of three assistant coaches. Head coach Fran Dunphy was assisted last season by Dave Duke, Dwayne Killings, and Shawn Trice.

Reached by phone last week, Brunson declined to comment on the job but said, "It's always been a dream to work at Temple." He expressed a desire to coach the Owls in 2006 after John Chaney's retirement.

Jalen Brunson helped Team USA win the gold medal Tuesday night at the FIBA Americas Under-18 tournament. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 12 points and 5.6 assists in five games. Brunson grew up in South Jersey and now lives in suburban Chicago after his father moved his family to be an assistant with the Bulls.

He will be a senior this fall at Stevenson High. He said he is considering Villanova, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue, in addition to Temple. ESPN lists him as a five-star recruit and the nation's 22d-best prospect in the Class of 2015.

If Temple lands him, Brunson will be the highest-rated Owls recruit since 1998 McDonald's all-American Kevin Lyde.