For Dunphy, a new kind of basketball ‘peace’
CAMDEN, N.J. >> Just as he always had in July, Fran Dunphy took a courtside seat in a cool gym the other day, watched some basketball and took mental notes on young players.
It’s what college coaches do in the summer, often in Las Vegas or Orlando or whatever other attractive destination is holding an AAU recruiting spectacle. It’s what he had done since 2006 for Temple, and long before that for Penn, and before that La Salle, and for just about all of his professional life.
This time, though, he wasn’t crammed into seating with hundreds of other college recruiters, all looking to see or, better still, to be seen by high school prospects. Instead, Dunphy was watching contently as mostly young, prospective 76ers went through a summer league minicamp.
“I needed a fix,” he admitted. “I enjoy this peace.”
So a fix it would be. Dunphy, 70, is a basketball coach and always will be a basketball coach. Some summers, though, are more peaceful than others. For him, this is the least hectic in decades. At the end of last season, Dunphy accepted retirement after having guided Temple to a spot in the NCAA Tournament. At that point, his assistant, Aaron McKie, would take over as the Owls’ head coach. Dunphy deserved to stay longer, much longer, but the succession plan was agreed upon by everyone involved. So, in character, he departed with grace, saying only that he looked forward to what would come next.
Long having taught management at Temple, in addition to teaching how to beat 20 teams a year, Dunphy will expand his schedule from one class to two in the fall. In addition, he will work closely with Temple president Richard Englert, spreading goodwill, benefitting the university. And always, always, he will remain a passionate force behind Coaches vs. Cancer.
“Any special projects going on, I’ll be doing those kinds of things,” Dunphy said. “But the teaching peace is really what I am looking forward to.”
Just the same, basketballcoaching angst will not be so easy to dismiss. For that, Dunphy was often seen in the Sixers’ training complex during the last NBA postseason, and recently has been watching the young players develop. As guests of Brett Brown, it’s not unusual for area college coaches to observe Sixers practices. Often they will sit with Sixers basketball personnel and bounce ideas around, with Brown ever open to the knowledge and respect that the Philadelphia basketballcoaching community carries.
Though the Sixers’ coaching staff is set, the organization is thick with scouts and advisors. Dunphy is not actively campaigning for a job. But if there were a deeper opportunity, there is a good chance he would listen.
“It’s not my plan, but you never know what’s out there,” he said. “Right now, I just like watching ball.”
As he watched a recent practice, Dunphy could nearly feel his internal alarm clock jolt, reminding him that this was just about the time he was due to hit the summertime recruiting treadmill. But instead of pursuing high school athletes to offer college educations, he will spend the next few weeks meeting with Temple professors to be better prepared to provide education in another way. Yet because he will remain on campus, he knows he will feel the gravitational pull back to the Liacouras Center and the adjacent Owls’ expansive basketball practice complex.
“You know, it’s interesting,” Dunphy said. “Aaron just texted me. He said, ‘Come over, I want you to watch a couple things.’ So I’ll probably do that. I have been staying away, but I probably won’t be able to for too long a period of time.”
That, too, is something of a Temple tradition, as Dunphy never hesitated to keep his predecessor, John Chaney, inside the ropes. It’s what basketball coaches do, semi-retired or otherwise. They stay close to the game.
“I’m sure I will miss it,” Dunphy said. “You can’t do something for that long and not miss it. But I think I am in a good place. I am grateful for what I have, and I think Aaron is going to do a great job.”
McKie will have to coach eight NCAA Tournament teams and advance to a major postseason tournament 10 times in his first 13 years to match Dunphy’s run on Broad Street. But it could happen, and if so, Dunphy will be nearby. Unlike his dear friend Phil Martelli, who took a $450,000 a year assistant coaching job at Michigan at the end of his long and successful career at Saint Joseph’s, Dunphy is not immediately interested in roaming too far in his continuing quest to remain close to the sport.
“That was excellent for Phil,” Dunphy said. “I think he is very thrilled about it. We talked yesterday and I am happy for him. But for me, it’s time for family too. I have a 13-month-old grandson, Odin, in Havertown, who I am hanging out with a lot more than I would have, obviously. I am looking forward to that.”
Dunphy plans to spend a lot of time at the shore this summer, enjoying his family, free of the recruiting pressure. After that?
“I haven’t given a lot of thought to a lot of things, just waiting to see what will turn up,” Dunphy said. “But it’s all good.”
It was summer. He was in a gym. He felt at home. He was at peace.