The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined that an accidental fentanyl overdose is responsible for the death of former University of Houston basketball star Reggie Chaney.
According to NBC 5 DFW, the examiner performed an autopsy on the 23-year-old’s body after he was found dead in an apartment in Arlington in August and discovered toxic amounts of the substance.
Chaney was found unconscious in the bedroom of an Arlington apartment, and medical responders pronounced him dead on the scene. Police also said they did not suspect foul play, which has now been confirmed.
A funeral for the Tulsa native was held in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, in early September.
After finishing his fifth and final college basketball season at Houston in March, Chaney planned to play professionally overseas and was about to leave to begin his career in Greece.
He began his collegiate career at Arkansas before transferring to Houston for his final three seasons. Chaney was a key role player for the Cougars and was named the American Athletic Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year as the team won 33 games, earned a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, reached the Sweet 16, and finished ranked second in the final AP poll.
Overall, he played in 167 games (104 for Houston) and had a profound impact as a leader.
“First in his family to graduate from college. Reached his dream of signing a professional basketball contract. He was leaving Monday, Aug. 28th for Greece,” a statement from Houston head basketball coach Kelvin Sampson read shortly after Chaney’s death. “A Son. A Grandson. A Brother. The ultimate teammate. The Identity of our Cougar Basketball Culture. A winner. Thank you, God, for allowing Reggie to come into our lives. Rest easy Reg. Your legacy will live on forever. I love you and will miss you dearly.”
Many of his teammates also paid their respects through social media at his time of passing.
