As a student-athlete at La Salle from 1967-70, Dunphy played three seasons for the Explorers, including two under Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Tom Gola. He was a key member of the 1968-69 team that is known to be one of the best in Philadelphia Big 5 history. The team finished the season 23-1 and ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.Â
Fran Dunphy, who averaged 18.6 points per game as a senior while also leading the Explorers in assists, went on to an illustrious coaching career that included three stints as a coach at his alma mater. He spent one season with La Salle in 1979-80, a year in which National Player of the Year Michael Brooks led the Explorers to an East Coast Conference Tournament title and a berth into the NCAA Tournament. Â
After five seasons as an assistant at American, Dunphy returned to La Salle for three more years from 1985-88 where he was a part of the staff that recruited eventual National Player of the Year Lionel Simmons. The final two years of his stint saw the Explorers advance to the finals of the Postseason National Invitation Tournament in 1987, and earn another NCAA Tournament bid in 1988.Â
From there, Dunphy landed at Penn where he would go on to become the winningest head coach in program history. Over 17 seasons, his Quaker teams amassed 310 games, 10 Ivy League regular-season titles – including five undefeated campaigns – and nine NCAA Tournament appearances.
In 2006, Dunphy took over as head coach at Temple for legendary coach John Chaney. He won 270 games, advanced to eight NCAA Tournaments in 13 seasons, and was named conference Coach of the Year four times during his tenure.Â
Dunphy's career came full circle in April 2022, when he was named the 20th head men's basketball coach at La Salle.
Dunphy has been inducted into the Penn Athletics, Philadelphia Big 5, and Philadelphia Sports Halls of Fame, and was the recipient of an honorary doctor of humane letters degree at La Salle University's Commencement ceremony in May 2021.Â
