For new Penn men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery, the Palestra has always been home.
A Philadelphia native and 1982 Wharton graduate, McCaffery spent his youth attending games at the Cathedral of College Basketball during the Red and Blue program’s heyday. He then starred for the Quakers himself from 1979-82 before embarking on a coaching career that included 12 NCAA tournament appearances, 14 years at high-major Iowa, and an NCAA Player of the Year under his wing. Now, that road has brought McCaffery back where it all began.
“I sat right here every Saturday, hoping that one day I’d get to play here,” McCaffery said, pointing to the bleachers in the Palestra. “I’m so thrilled to be back here and [to be] helping continue what is one of the great traditions in all of college basketball.”
“He really is a terrific basketball coach,” Fran Dunphy, Penn’s all-time winningest coach, said. “He’s a terrific man, and he’s Penn. … He’s a proven winner, and hopefully, everything will go great as he comes back to the University of Pennsylvania.”
McCaffery began his collegiate basketball career at Wake Forest before transferring to Penn. During his senior year, McCaffery led the Ivy League with 105 assists and 51 steals, earning the nickname “White Magic” along the way. The Quakers won two Ivy titles in McCaffery’s three seasons and shared a Big 5 crown in 1981.
“When you came here, you expected not only to contend for an Ivy championship [but also] for a Big 5 championship,” McCaffery said.
McCaffery was also with the program during its legendary run to the Final Four in 1979 but was forced to watch from the sidelines due to transfer regulations. Nonetheless, McCaffery’s playing career played a significant role in shaping the coach he would become.
One defining characteristic of McCaffery’s coaching style is its fast-paced playing style — something he has credited to Bob Weinhauer, McCaffery’s coach during his playing career at Penn.
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“We as coaches are typically a byproduct of our mentors,” McCaffery said. “When I was here playing for coach Weinhauer, we had great success playing fast, and I’ve done it ever since.”
“The intensity from our team is a big change,” senior guard/forward Ethan Roberts said. “Practices feel so much more real, and the energy is just different.”
This up-tempo pace has ushered McCaffery-led teams to much success. As a college basketball coach for the last 43 years, McCaffery has a 58.8% winning average and is one of 14 Division I coaches to lead at least four programs to NCAA tournament appearances.
“The hope that Fran gives us, that’s what’s been so motivating,” Roberts said. “It’s been great to bounce off his energy. He’s a fiery guy. He can light a fire from halfcourt. He’s a winner, and I think that just kind of flows into us.”
While McCaffery’s stints at Lehigh, UNC Greensboro, and Siena were significant, it was his 15 years at Iowa where he left the largest legacy. The Hawkeyes competed in seven NCAA tournaments and led the Big Ten in scoring for five consecutive seasons from 2018-23. His 297 wins with the program are the most in Hawkeyes history.
At Penn, McCaffery hopes to uphold not only his up-tempo offense but also the expectations of a high standard of effort.
“I would say this: Your best players have to be your hardest workers because that example gives them credibility at practice, in the locker room, and it sets a standard of expectation [and] of greatness,” McCaffery said. “And I’ve been really impressed with this group, in particular, from a leadership standpoint [because they are] a group that’s connected and works incredibly hard every day.”
