Fran Dunphy

Last updated
Fran Dunphy
Fran Dunphy.jpg
Current position
Title Head coach
Team La Salle
Conference Atlantic 10
Record43–51 (.457)
Biographical details
Born (1948-10-05) October 5, 1948 (age 76)
Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
1967–1970 La Salle
1973–1975 Cherry Hill Rookies
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1971–1975 Army (assistant)
1977–1979 Malvern Prep
1979–1980 La Salle (assistant)
1980–1984 American (assistant)
1985–1988La Salle (assistant)
1988–1989 Penn (assistant)
1989–2006Penn
2006–2019 Temple
2022–presentLa Salle
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
2020–2021 Temple (interim)
Head coaching record
Overall623–376 (.624) (college)
Tournaments3–17 (NCAA Division I)
3–2 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
10 Ivy League regular season (1993–1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006)
3 Atlantic 10 tournament (2008–2010)
2 Atlantic 10 regular season (2010, 2012)
AAC regular season (2016)
Awards
2× Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year (2010, 2012)
2x AAC Coach of the Year (2015, 2016)

Francis Joseph Dunphy (born October 5, 1948) is an American college basketball coach, who is the head coach of the La Salle Explorers of the Atlantic 10 Conference. He is the former men's basketball coach at Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania. He succeeded John Chaney in 2006 and was succeeded by Aaron McKie in 2019. In June 2020, Dunphy was named interim athletic director of Temple. [1] In 2022, he was named the men's basketball coach of the La Salle Explorers.

Contents

Nicknamed "Mr. Big 5", Dunphy holds the record for the most wins (619) by a coach in Philadelphia Big 5 history, and has coached three of the six member schools of the city rivalry.

Playing career

Dunphy played for the Cherry Hill Rookies of the Eastern Basketball Association from 1973 to 1975. [2] He averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23 games played. [2]

Coaching career

Dunphy's coaching career began at the United States Military Academy (1971–72), where he served as an assistant under head coach Dan Dougherty. In 1977 he became the head basketball coach and accounting teacher of his high school alma mater, Malvern Prep. He remained there until becoming Lefty Ervin's assistant at La Salle University (1979–80). The following year, Dunphy joined Gary Williams’ staff at American University. He returned to La Salle in 1985, serving one more season under Ervin and assisting Speedy Morris for two seasons. He left La Salle to become head coach Tom Schneider's top assistant at Penn in 1988. Dunphy succeeded Schneider as Penn head coach a year later. In 2006 he succeeded John Chaney as head coach of the Temple Owls.

Penn

In 1989, Dunphy was named the 16th head coach at Penn. He compiled a 310–163 overall record and won 10 Ivy League titles in his 17-year career. Dunphy's 310 wins are the most by any Penn coach and are second all-time in the Ivy League to Princeton's Pete Carril. His Quaker teams won 48 straight Ivy League games and four league titles from 1992 through 1996. His 1993–94 team had a 25–3 record and was ranked 25th in the CNN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, the program's first such ranking since 1978–79. In 1994, Penn upset sixth-seeded Nebraska 90–80 in the NCAA tournament. Dunphy is considered among the finest coaches in Ivy League history.

Dunphy vs. the Ivy League

Temple

Dunphy was introduced as the head coach at Temple on April 10, 2006 after legendary Owls coach John Chaney retired the previous month. By taking the job, Dunphy became the first man ever to lead two Big 5 basketball programs.

In 2008, Dunphy coached Temple to the Atlantic 10 tournament championship. He also won the Herb Good Eastern Coach of the Year Award for the 2007–08 season. They lost a close game to Michigan State (who advanced to the Sweet Sixteen) in the first round of the 2008 NCAA tournament. The 2009 team placed 2nd in the A10 conference for the second straight season. The Owls repeated as Atlantic 10 tournament champions 2009; Temple University is the first A10 team to repeat as A10 tournament champions since TU accomplished this task under the reign of John Chaney 2000–01. Dunphy's 2009–10 Temple team won 11 of its first 13 games, including a victory over cross-town rival and then-third ranked Villanova, before falling to top-ranked Kansas. The 2009–10 team also ranked in the top twenty-five for more than eleven straight weeks in both major polls, and won its third consecutive Atlantic 10 tournament title. However, for the third straight season, Dunphy's Owls lost in the first round of NCAA tournament, this time to Ivy League champion Cornell.

Dunphy would finally claim his first NCAA tournament victory at Temple in the 2010–11 season when Temple knocked off inner-state rival Penn St. 66–64 in the second round on a last-second buzzer-beater by sophomore Juan Fernandez. Temple would lose in the following round to 2-seed San Diego State 71–64 in a gut-wrenching double-overtime thriller. Dunphy would lead the Owls back to the tournament in the 2011–12 season, only to be upset in the second round by South Florida 58–44. In the following season after losing senior guards Juan Fernandez and Ramone Moore, Dunphy led the Owls to an early-season upset of then 3-seed Syracuse – a team that eventually made the Final Four – at Madison Square Garden and #21 VCU on the final day of the regular season to secure a 6th straight NCAA tournament appearance. The Owls would knock off 8-seed North Carolina State 76–72 in the second round before losing to 1-seed Indiana 58–52 in a game that Temple led the majority of the way.

After placing 9th and a tie for 3rd in their first two years in the American Athletic Conference, the Temple Owls won the 2015–16 regular season AAC title with a 14–4 conference record. For the second straight year, Dunphy won AAC Coach of the Year honors for exceeding pre-season expectations (before both the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons, Temple was projected to come in 6th in the AAC. They came in a tie for 3rd and 1st respectively).

On April 12, 2018, it was announced that Dunphy would step down as Temple head coach at the end of the 2018–19 season, with assistant coach and former Owl player Aaron McKie succeeding him. [3]

Dunphy was named interim athletic director of Temple University, effective July 1, 2020. He replaced Patrick Kraft, who left to take the position at Boston College. [4] Dunphy was replaced in this position by Arthur Johnson.

La Salle

On April 5, 2022, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the La Salle would hire Dunphy to be the Explorers' next men's basketball coach. [5] With his hiring, Dunphy returned to coach at his alma mater and became the first coach to lead three different Big 5 programs. He replaced Ashley Howard in this position.

On November 26, 2023, Dunphy won his 600th career game, an 81–62 win over Coppin State. [6]

On February 20, 2025, Dunphy announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2024–25 season and become a special assistant to the president at La Salle. [7]

Education

Dunphy attended St. Dorothy's grade school in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, and then went on to attend Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern, Pennsylvania. He graduated from La Salle University in 1970 with a degree in marketing. While at La Salle, he played under head coach Tom Gola. As a junior, he helped the Explorers to a 23–1 record. He served as a co-captain his senior year when he averaged 18.6 ppg and led the team in assists, while also being named the MVP of the annual Quaker City Basketball Tournament. In 1979, he earned a master's degree in counseling and human relations from Villanova University. In addition, he completed his coursework toward his doctorate in counseling and student development at American University.

Personal

Dunphy and his wife, Ree, reside in Villanova, Pennsylvania with their son, J.P. Dunphy.

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Penn Quakers (Ivy League)(1989–2006)
1989–90 Penn 12–147–7T–3rd
1990–91 Penn 9–176–8T–3rd
1991–92 Penn 16–109–52nd
1992–93 Penn 22–514–01st NCAA Division I Round of 64
1993–94 Penn 25–314–01st NCAA Division I Round of 32
1994–95 Penn 22–614–01st NCAA Division I Round of 64
1995–96 Penn 17–1012–3T–1st
1996–97 Penn 12–148–64th
1997–98 Penn 17–1210–42nd
1998–99 Penn 21–613–11st NCAA Division I Round of 64
1999–00 Penn 21–814–01st NCAA Division I Round of 64
2000–01 Penn 12–179–5T–2nd
2001–02 Penn 25–712–3T–1st NCAA Division I Round of 64
2002–03 Penn 22–614–01st NCAA Division I Round of 64
2003–04 Penn 17–1010–4T–2nd
2004–05 Penn 20–913–11st NCAA Division I Round of 64
2005–06 Penn 20–912–21st NCAA Division I Round of 64
Penn:310–163 (.655)191–48 (.799)
Temple Owls (Atlantic 10 Conference)(2006–2013)
2006–07 Temple 12–186–1010th
2007–08 Temple 21–1311–5T–2nd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2008–09 Temple 22–1211–5T–2nd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2009–10 Temple 29–614–21st NCAA Division I Round of 64
2010–11 Temple 26–814–22nd NCAA Division I Round of 32
2011–12 Temple 24–813–31st NCAA Division I Round of 64
2012–13 Temple 24–1011–5T–3rd NCAA Division I Round of 32
Temple Owls (American Athletic Conference)(2013–2019)
2013–14 Temple 9–224–149th
2014–15 Temple 26–1113–5T–3rd NIT Semifinal
2015–16 Temple 21–1214–41st NCAA Division I Round of 64
2016–17 Temple 16–167–118th
2017–18 Temple 17–168–107th NIT First Round
2018–19 Temple 23–1013–53rd NCAA Division I First Four
Temple:270–162 (.625)139–81 (.632)
LaSalle Explorers (Atlantic 10 Conference)(2022–present)
2022–23 La Salle 15–197–11T–11th
2023–24 La Salle 16–176–12T–10th
2024–25 La Salle 12–154–10
La Salle:43–51 (.457)17–33 (.340)
Total:623–376 (.624)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Coaching tree

Assistant coaches under Dunphy who became NCAA or NBA head coaches

References

  1. ↑ "Temple names former basketball coach Fran Dunphy interim athletic director". 6abc Philadelphia. June 18, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Fran Dunphy minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  3. ↑ Hunt, Donald (April 13, 2018). "Aaron Mckie to become Temple head coach in 2019". Philadelphia Tribune . Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Temple names former Owls basketball coach Fran Dunphy interim AD". ESPN . June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Sources: La Salle to hire Fran Dunphy as men's basketball coach". The Philadelphia Inquirer . April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  6. ↑ "La Salle gives coach Fran Dunphy his 600th career win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  7. ↑ Neiburg, Jeff (2025-02-20). "La Salle coach Fran Dunphy, 'Mr. Big 5,′ to retire from coaching at the end of the season". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
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