Livescore
Legendary men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy, the all-time winningest coach in the Big 5 (an association of the six athletic programs in Philadelphia), will retire from his role as La Salle’s coach at the end of the 2024-25 season, the school announced on Thursday. Dunphy, 76, will transition into a role as special assistant to the president at La Salle, where he has agreed to a lifetime contract with the university.
“On behalf of La Salle and the entire Philadelphia basketball community, we are thankful for Fran Dunphy’s incredible service, dedication, and integrity on and off the court. He has touched the lives of so many as a role model and as a father figure to his student-athletes,” La Salle president Dr. Daniel J. Allen said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to work directly with Fran in his new advisory role and be part of another chapter of his legendary career.”
Dunphy has coached more than 30 years and amassed 623 victories at Penn, Temple and, most recently, La Salle. The heart and soul of the area, he is the only coach to oversee multiple programs from the Big 5, and during his career, he has led 17 teams to NCAA Tournament appearances.
“I will forever be thankful to La Salle as well as all my fellow coaches and players that I’ve been fortunate to work with throughout my coaching career,” Dunphy said. “I am looking forward to finishing this season strong with our team, and as I embark on the next chapter of my life, I could not be happier to stay at La Salle and work with President Allen, Ash Puri, and this great University that I call home.”
Dunphy left Temple in 2019 and was hired as La Salle’s coach on April 5, 2022. In his first season with the Explorers, he guided the team to the A-10 tourney quarterfinals for the first time since 2015 and led them to two conference tourney wins for the first time in more than two decades.
His first two seasons at La Salle ended with below .500 records, and the team is tracking toward another similar finish after falling Wednesday at home to Richmond to drop the team to 12-15 on the season. Prior to that, he had just six losing seasons dating back to 1989. He steps away with more regular season conference championships (10 in the Ivy League and two in the A-10) than total losing seasons in his tenure.
“Fran has been instrumental in bringing pride and the high standards of success to La Salle basketball. We will forever be thankful for his contributions to our University as a player, alumnus, coach, and mentor,” Vice President of Athletics and Recreation and Director of Athletics Ashwin Puri said in a press release. “I am grateful to call Fran a friend and fortunate to continue to rely on his guidance. Once an Explorer, always an Explorer.”
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