Dunphy to stay with Quakers

It wasn't quite the perfect scenario after all. Penn men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy, a 1970 La Salle graduate and former Explorers assistant, will not be the replacement for fired La Salle coach William "Speedy" Morris. Dunphy, who had met with La Salle representatives on three separate occasions, asked yesterday to be removed from consideration for the Explorers head men's basketball coaching position. This means that Dunphy will return for his 13th season at Penn. "I was very respectful of the fact that La Salle wanted to talk with me," Dunphy said. "I took it serious, their interest, but I enjoy my situation at Penn." Dunphy made his decision a day after his most recent meeting with La Salle on Monday. Dunphy first met with Explorers representatives on March 21 and had his second such meeting last weekend. The Penn coach said the La Salle's head coaching job was never offered to him, and specifics were not brought up in the meetings. "We mostly discussed the philosophies of the institution and what my philosophies were," Dunphy said. "I took advantage of an opportunity to sit down and talk to people I was very respectful of." Dunphy made his decision to withdraw from consideration after speaking with his family and Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky. "Steve and I have become very close," Dunphy said. "We stayed in touch throughout the process and he's a great resource and reference." Dunphy said he spoke with La Salle Athletic Director Tom Brennan yesterday before a press release announcing Dunphy's decision was issued. Brennan confirmed this but declined to comment further. "[Brennan] was very nice to me and I think [La Salle] handled it very well," Dunphy said. "We are both appreciative of each other and very respectful of each other." Penn basketball players, mindful of the rumors of their coach's departure, were relieved when they learned Dunphy would return. "I was definitely very glad that he's going to stay," Penn freshman Adam Chubb said. "For as hard as we've tried for it not to be a distraction, you can't help but think about it in workouts or while lifting weights," Penn junior Dan Solomito said. "He's a huge part of our team, and being our coach, a father figure to us." Dunphy never addressed the team as a whole about his possible departure, but he did address individual questions by some of his players in end-of-the-year meetings. "For the most part, if it got to that point where I was very serious about it, I would have [talked to them]," Dunphy said. Solomito agrees: "He's the type of person who, unless there's a change being made, he won't talk about it." Solomito and Chubb both claim that Dunphy has done little differently as a head coach this off season. "He definitely acted like he was still going to be coaching at Penn," Solomito said. As for La Salle, St. John's assistant Kevin Clark has been interviewed by Brennan for the position vacated when Morris was fired on March 9. Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon, a former Penn assistant, was also interviewed. Another Penn graduate, UNC-Greensboro coach Fran McCafferty, previously met with Brennan. But McCafferty, like Dunphy, has taken his name out of the running. Dunphy seemed to be a prime candidate for the Explorers job because of his La Salle background. The Penn coach played basketball for La Salle and averaged 18.6 points per game as a senior. Dunphy also served as an Explorers assistant coach under Speedy Morris from 1985-1988. At Penn, Dunphy has compiled a 206-122 record, although the Quakers went just 12-17 under his guidance this year.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.