Professor Dunphy holds court

Men's Basketball Coach Fran Dunphy has stepped off the court and into the classroom. This semester, Dunphy is co-teaching a Wharton class on small-group dynamics. When Management Professor Keith Weigelt approached Dunphy and asked him to assist with Management 204 this fall, he said he was very excited. The course involves the teaching of business theory, using the men's basketball team as a real-life example. The first half of each lecture is taught by Weigelt, who discusses ideas and theories, and then Dunphy takes over. Weigelt, who calls himself a game theorist, said although the class is in its first year he thinks it has been fairly successful. He said the emphasis of the course has been on managing small groups and cooperation, something Dunphy specializes in. "The problem with most classes is that they talk so much in the abstract and don't have actual experience," Weigelt said. "The basketball team is a good example because coach is like the CEO of the team." Weigelt said the idea of bridging academics and athletics can be very important and the class is a "win-win" situation for everyone. "Dunphy has been much better than I thought. I knew he'd be good, but he's really good," he said. Dunphy agreed that joining two aspects of campus life is healthy. "It's good for me to see what my players are going through every day," Dunphy said. "I've enjoyed this class immensely." Students in the class said they have also gotten a lot out of this creative teaching situation. "I think it's a good idea," Wharton junior Laura Froehlich said. "A professor can tell us things, but he [Dunphy] gives us real examples." "Dunphy is a good professor and I think he likes what he's doing and being in the classroom and seeing student life," Wharton senior Andrew Headley said. Tim Krug, a College sophomore and member of the men's basketball team, said it takes some adjustment to see Coach Dunphy off the court. "I think he brings something different to the classroom and adds a real world sense," he said. "It also forces me to go to class." For some students, a lack of information about the game of basketball itself has led to a few problems. "There's a mix of people in the class, but it's tough for those who don't know anything about basketball," Headley said. Wharton sophomore Shervin Korangy said both professors have tried to address that by spending one class explaining the basics of basketball and bringing in videotapes for the students to watch. "It's not like all the other Wharton classes with a competitive atmosphere," Korangy said. "It's laid back but interesting at the same time." Michele Wisch, a Wharton sophomore, said she has gotten more out of this class than any she has taken at the University. "Originally, I didn't think there would be much correlation between managing a company and basketball, but over the semester I have really learned a lot," she said.