Though coach Fran Dunphy has left Penn for Temple, the three recruits he convinced to play for the Quakers next season still plan on attending the University.
Justin Reilly, Andreas Schreiber and Darren Smith all told The Daily Pennsylvanian last week that they would come to Penn next year even if Dunphy were to leave.
"I love Penn, and that's not going to change my decision in any way shape or form," Reilly said yesterday in reference to Dunphy's departure.
He said that he first spoke with Dunphy about his possible departure this past weekend.
"Coach called me on Saturday and informed me that he was offered the job at Temple and that he would call me on Sunday to let me know if he took it or not," the 6-foot-8 forward from Richardson, Texas, said. "When he called on Sunday, he was just really classy about it, as you would expect from coach Dunphy.
"We talked for a little while about everything, and I basically told him that I'd love to play for him, and it's something that I can't control."
Reilly said that he hasn't been told anything about the search for a new coach. He also says that he is not angry at Dunphy for leaving Penn.
"Some guys in the recruiting process feel cheated," he said. "I have friends going to Oklahoma and now that Kelvin Sampson [has left for Indiana] they're all up in arms.
"In my mind, it's a business. [Coaches] are going to make a decision when an opportunity opens up."
Rock and Wohl?
Dave Wohl, who along with backcourt partner Steve Bilsky (now Penn's athletic director) led the Quakers to the 1971 Eastern Regional finals in the NCAA Tournament, has been mentioned by many sources as a candidate to replace Dunphy.
A member of the Big 5 Hall of Fame and former head coach of the New Jersey Nets, Wohl is currently an assistant with the NBA's Boston Celtics.
When contacted by The Daily Pennsylvanian yesterday, Wohl wouldn't comment on whether he has been approached by Penn or whether he's interested in the opening.
"All I'll say is that it's a terrific job," he said.
A hot name
Sources close to the Penn program are saying that several big supporters of the men's basketball team are making a push for Lehigh coach Billy Taylor to replace Dunphy.
One of the most vocal Penn alumni supporting Taylor is Siena coach Fran McCaffery.
Taylor, a 1995 Notre Dame graduate, was a top assistant for McCaffery for three years at UNC-Greensboro.
These sources say that McCaffery has Bilsky's ear, as the 1982 Penn graduate has always been rumored to be a top candidate to replace Dunphy if the coach were to leave.
McCaffery is unlikely to take the Penn job now, though, as he recently signed an extension at Siena that reportedly has no "escape clauses" that allow him to go to Penn without serious financial penalties.
Not another Fran
It seems unlikely that Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon will replace Dunphy.
From 1989-95, O'Hanlon was a Penn assistant on Dunphy's staff.
Yesterday, he told The Morning Call of Allentown, Pa., that it was unlikely he would leave.
"I don't foresee myself going anywhere," he said. "If they call me, because of my respect for Penn, would I talk to them? I would not be arrogant enough, because it's Penn, that I would not listen to what they'd have to say. That doesn't mean I'd go down there, but it's more because Penn gave me an opportunity."
If O'Hanlon wanted the job, he would likely be the favorite to replace Dunphy due to his success at Lafayette and his close ties to the Penn family.
But he has long lobbied Lafayette trustees to approve athletic scholarships for his program, and when they did just that last month, it made it incredibly difficult for him to leave.
Still, sources close to the Penn program say Bilsky and influential alumni may be able to make him an offer he can't refuse if he's the consensus first choice.
Miller spurns Hartford
Brown coach Glen Miller, another leading candidate for the Penn vacancy, was on the verge of taking the head coaching job at Hartford last week, when he suddenly pulled out, according to a story in The Hartford Courant.
This may be a sign that he is more interested in landing the job at Penn and it could also mean that Penn is very interested in him.
Sources say that Bilsky and his staff started their official search for Dunphy's replacement last week, so Penn officials may have convinced Miller to pass on Hartford.
Maybe good things come to those who wait.
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