Fran Dunphy honored at La Salle University before retirement, accomplishes another milestone
La Salle men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy reached another historic number in his iconic basketball career on Wednesday night.
"The agita you get, agita every moment before the game," Dunphy said.
Dunphy's eyes scanned the court as he'd done so many times before — positioning each player with precision. The 76-year-old's voice is seasoned, sure and rivaled only by his passion for the game, and shows no signs of waning, despite being just weeks away from his retirement.
"You can feel it. You know when the right time is," Dunphy said. "We started talking about this over the last year and it really got serious over the holiday time."
At John Glaser Arena, yellow T-shirts with Dunphy's face read "Mr. Big 5" and dressed the seats. And the winningest coach in Big 5 history hit another milestone on Wednesday night.
Dunphy became the 34th head coach in Division I history to reach 1,000 games coached and he did where he played and graduated from in 1970. Those games coached include time at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University, along with La Salle.
"It's been an amazing time in my life and I'm grateful for every moment that I have," Dunphy said.
Kale Beers, the play-by-play announcer at La Salle, said Dunphy's return in 2022 changed the university — a sentiment echoed by fans.
"To me he saved the school," a fan said.
While Dunphy isn't one to take the credit to heart, he hopes instead to be remembered by his actions on and off the court.
"Just that I was a good human being and that I treated everyone honestly and fairly and with respect," Dunphy said.
As for what's next, Dunphy will stay on as a special assistant to the university president and be never too far away from the place and game he calls home.
"I don't know, we're going to figure that out," Dunphy said. "I've got lots of things in my mind, and I just want to do the very best I can for La Salle."
