Report: Dunphy next coach at La Salle
La Salle University has reportedly turned to a familiar face to run its men’s basketball program.
Fran Dunphy, who played for the Explorers and served as an assistant coach at his alma mater before going on to a distinguished career as the head coach at Penn and Temple, reportedly has agreed to become the next head coach at 20th & Olney, according to published reports.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing sources, was the first to report the news.
Already the first person to be a head coach at two Big 5 schools, Dunphy becomes the first to lead three of the five teams associated with the city series.
The 73-year-old Dunphy, who grew up in Drexel Hill, played for the Explorers from 1967-70. He was a reserve on the 1968-69 team that went 23-1 in his junior season and then averaged 18.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists as a senior. He then served two stints as an assistant coach at his at his alma mater.
He spent one year on Lefty Ervin’s staff (197980) and then three seasons under Speedy Morris (198588) before leaving for Penn, where he served as an assistant for one season before becoming the head coach in 1989.
He spent 17 years as the head coach at Penn, where he compiled a 310-163 record and guided the Quakers
to 10 Ivy League titles. Dunphy left Penn in 2006 to become the head coach at Temple, where he replaced the legendary John Chaney.
Dunphy went 270-162 in 13 seasons on North Broad Street. He guided the Owls to three Atlantic 10 tournament titles, two regular-season crowns and one AAC championship. He was named A-10 and AAC Coach of the Year twice before retiring following the 2018-19 season.
In 30 years as a head coach overall, Dunphy produced 24 winning seasons, went to the NCAA tournament 17 times and compiled a record of 580-325. He also spent time as acting athletic director at Temple during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dunphy replaces Monsignor
Bonner graduate Ashley Howard, who was let go after going 45-71 in four seasons including 1319 this season.
Dunphy has quite the task in front of him. La Salle has had just one winning season in the last nine years (17-16 in 2014-15) and has qualified for the NCAA tournament just once since 1992-93. That came in 201213 when the Explorers went 24-10 and reached the Sweet 16.
La Salle has some of the poorest facilities in the Atlantic 10 and he will have to rebuild the roster from scratch.
Jhamir Brickus, Anwar Gill, Jack Clark, Christian Ray, Clifton Moore, Mamadou Doucoure and Khalil Brantley have all reportedly entered the transfer portal.