Those closest to new Temple basketball coach Fran Dunphy couldn't be happier about the next chapter in their good friend's career.
"I just think that Temple's gain is Penn's loss," said Bill "Speedy" Morris, head coach of Saint Joseph's Preparatory School. "He did a superb job at Penn. [Temple is] getting a great person and just a great, great basketball coach."
Dunphy was an assistant to Morris from 1984-88 at La Salle.
"I'm very happy for him," said Ed Stefanski, a former Penn player who is now general manager of the NBA's New Jersey Nets. "Where he is in his life and his career, this is a heck of challenge for him.
"I wish he stayed with us, because to me he's been the best coach that Penn has ever had."
These sentiments were echoed by several Ivy League coaches.
"It's a big loss to the Ivy League because Coach Dunphy was one of the most respected coaches in the league," Yale coach James Jones said. "Temple is lucky to have him."
Even the man Dunphy is replacing, Hall of Famer John Chaney, had nothing but praise for his successor.
"He's America's best kept secret," Chaney said.
The former Temple coach said that he has been spending the four weeks since announcing his retirement cleaning out his office and taking care of his ill wife.
"It's a lot easier for me knowing [that, in Dunphy,] you've got a good person in here," Chaney said.
Since the Ivy League does not give merit-based aid, this will be the first time that Dunphy has had scholarships at his disposal -- something that most feel will benefit him.
"He's done a super job without scholarships, so I don't think he'll have any problem at all now that he has them," Dartmouth coach Terry Dunn said.
La Salle coach John Giannini agrees that scholarships will greatly increase Dunphy's recruiting power.
"Every key player he's ever had at Penn has been a scholarship-level player," Giannini said.
"They've all turned down scholarships, some at major programs, to play for him. Scholarships will only make him that much better a recruiter."
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