We hoped it wouldn't come to this. But it's finally happening: Fran Dunphy is leaving. After 17 years as Penn's head basketball coach -- Dunphy will be moving across town to become Temple University's next head coach.
While we are glad he will now have chance to coach a major contender, he will be sorely missed at this University.
Only a few months ago, this column cheered Dunphy on his 300th victory -- he is one of two Ivy League coaches to ever achieve that mark. He is also the winningest coach in Penn basketball history, having amassed 10 Ivy League titles in his career.
More importantly, Dunphy's appeal goes far beyond his statistics.
For nearly two decades, Dunphy has served as the face of Penn to the entire sports community. And while some modern sports programs erupted in controversy over the past two decades, Dunphy has single-handedly built the Ivy League's most successful and respected basketball program at the Palestra.
And his admirers are not just Penn fans.
His committment to community service through organizations such as Coaches vs. Cancer and Big Brothers Big Sisters has consistently set a high standard for both his players and students.
He is also held in high regard by many opposing coaches and basketball insiders, who often praise his likeability. In the world of sports, where success is often followed by big money and big excesses, Dunphy embodies all that Penn could hope for -- and all that Penn should look for when trying to hire his replacement.
And finding his replacement won't be easy -- no one at Penn would prefer to have anyone else as his coach. The entire University was lucky to have been coached by Dunphy for 17 great years, and he will be sorely missed.
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