Following the resignation of Penn State's head basketball coach, Jerry Dunn, the Nittany Lions requested permission to talk to Penn men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy.
Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley called his Penn counterpart Steve Bilsky yesterday.
"He called and asked for permission, which I obviously gave," Bilsky told the Philadelphia Daily News. "We've been there a few times before."
Penn has been here a few times before as Dunphy has been linked with other job openings in the past few seasons, including being offered an assistant spot with the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and being a strong candidate for a head coaching job with his alma mater La Salle.
He did not say he would automatically dismiss an offer from Penn State.
"In our business, we always listen," Dunphy said yesterday at a public speech.
"But I love being here, I really do," Dunphy continued. "As I said earlier, if I ended my career at Penn, I'd be perfectly happy -- it would be one hell of a career."
Dunphy completed his fourteenth season at Penn this past Friday when the Quakers lost to Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. His 253 wins are the most in the history of the program.
In sharp contrast to the Quakers 22-6 record this past season, Penn State notched just seven wins against 21 losses. Particularly ugly was a 2-14 record in the Big Ten.
Saint Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli, whose Hawks lost in the first round of the tournament, has also been rumored as a potential candidate for opening in State College, Pa.
