Men's Basketball | July 16, 2019

PHILADELPHIA - A pair of La Salle University alums will join a prestigious group of Philadelphia's finest, as Al Cantello '55 and Fran Dunphy '70 are two of the 15 sports greats set to be inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in November. The 16th Induction Ceremony and Reception will be held on November 7 at the SugarHouse Event Center in Philadelphia. 

Cantello and Dunphy are part of a Hall of Fame class that includes: Bill Melchionni (Basketball), Charlene Morett (Field Hockey), Clara Schroth-Lomady (Gymnastics), Donovan McNabb (Football), Eric Desjardins (Hockey), Home Run Baker (Baseball), Jayson Stark (Baseball,  Legacy of Excellence), Matt Saad Mohmamed (Boxing), Mike Scioscia (Baseball), Paul Owens (Baseball, Legacy of Excellence), Rasheed Wallace (Basketball), Suzy Kolber (Football, Legacy of Excellence) and Troy Vincent (Football). 

Cantello was a standout member of the track & field team at La Salle during the 1950s. He was a two-time All-American in the javelin, set a world record in the event in 1959 and competed at the Rome Olympics the following year in 1960 as a member of the United States team. He was voted the world's greatest javelin competitor in Sport Magazine in 1964.

After five years as an assistant coach, Cantello took over the reins of Navy's men's cross country program in 1968. During his 50-year run, he was named Patriot League Coach of the Year eight times and NCAA Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year on four separate occasions. He has previously been inducted into the La Salle Hall of Athletes, the Penn Relays Wall of Fame and the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Dunphy played men's basketball for the Explorers from 1967-70 and was a key member of the 1968-69 team that went 23-1 and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. As a senior, he averaged 18.6 points per game and led La Salle in assists.

Following his playing career, Dunphy went on to become the most decorated head coach in Philadelphia Big 5 history. The Drexel Hill native recorded 580 wins during his time as head coach at Penn and Temple. Most recently, he guided Temple to 270 wins during a 13-year tenure, including a 23-10 record and NCAA Tournament berth this past season. He was named 2019 Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year and inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame this past April.