La Salle coach Fran Dunphy is keeping his return to the sidelines anyone’s guess

Fran Dunphy remains noncommittal about his coaching future.

Dunphy, the longtime Big 5 men’s basketball coach, only continues to reinforce his passion for his alma mater — and his current employer — La Salle.

“I’ve been one of the luckier people I know in terms of opportunity over the course of my life,” Dunphy told The Inquirer on Saturday at the 20th annual Coaches vs. Cancer BasketBall Gala, held at The Bellevue in Center City.

“I’m back at my alma mater coaching a little bit, hopefully [to make] a difference. I want to do the best job that I can. I love La Salle. I loved what it did for me. I loved my time at Penn. I loved my time at Temple.”

Dunphy recently concluded his 32nd season coaching a Big 5 program, following stints with Penn (1989-2006) and Temple (2006-2019). He returned to La Salle in 2022, and over the past two seasons, the Explorers have compiled a 31-36 record with 11th- and 10th-place finishes, respectively.

After La Salle lost to St. Bonaventure in the second round of the Atlantic 10 tournament last month, Dunphy indicated that he’s still under contract for next season. He also noted his intention to meet with athletic director Ashwin Puri and university president Daniel J. Allen. Without divulging details from those conversations, Dunphy, who turns 76 in October, is keeping his return to La Salle anyone’s guess.

“Right now, I’m just the coach at La Salle, and I’m grateful for that,” Dunphy said. “But whatever I can do to help my alma mater, I’m going to do it.”

The 20th annual Coaches vs. Cancer BasketBall Gala featured more than 500 guests, including Sixers coach Nick Nurse, and each of the Big 5 coaches: Dunphy, Steve Donahue (Penn), Billy Lange (St. Joseph’s), Adam Fisher (Temple), Zach Spiker (Drexel), and Kyle Neptune (Villanova). Former Villanova coach Jay Wright also was in attendance.

This year’s event honored Dunphy and longtime St. Joe’s coach Phil Martelli. Together, the duo started the Philadelphia chapter of Coaches vs. Cancer more than two decades ago. Since its inception, the gala has raised more than $20 million for cancer research, education, advocacy, and patient support.

“I want to tell [my team] … whenever they can find an opportunity to give back, that’s what they need to do,” Dunphy said. “We seem to be happiest when we’re working for others. I think that’s the way my young players should live their lives as they grow on to become men.

“Cancer does not discriminate. … A lot of our charge and initiative has to be for the promotion of what we can do for our city. It’s about giving back and helping in any way that we can.”

Martelli added: “Every waking moment is about my family, our teams, and crushing cancer.”

While Dunphy remained tight-lipped regarding his future, Martelli described Dunphy’s impact on the city’s college basketball scene.

“My relationship with Fran, it’s closer than a brother,” Martelli said. “He is a Hall of Fame human being. We have different [coaching] styles. He’s the calming influence and I’m kind of the ‘stir the pot’ type. He is one of the greats in basketball and in our efforts toward fighting cancer.

“But I can only say it to you this way: Every single conversation that I end with Fran Dunphy for the last 20 years, we always end with, ‘I love you.’ How many 70-year-old coaches are telling each other they love them? Whatever is ahead, Fran will continue to make that room as bright as it can be.”