Good reporting in today's Philadelphia Inquirer on the LaSalle job. Basically, Mike Jensen reports that the Explorers are waiting on Fran Dunphy, and, if not, they'll offer the job to Maine's John Giannini. There were no reports in today's Philadelphia Daily News or Daily Pennsylvanian (the latter is the daily newspaper published at the University of Pennsylvania).
It's hard to imagine that Dunphy will take the job. Georgetown and Ohio State would have been a step up, but LaSalle is not. At Penn, he's a perennial contender for the Ivy title and the automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament that goes with it. At LaSalle, he'll have to battle Temple, St. Joe's and Drexel, among others, for recruits, and he'll face stiff competition in the Atlantic 10 from, among others, Temple, St. Joe's, Xavier and Dayton (I admit that I'm not sure how each and every re-configuration of the major conferences will affect the A-10's basketball lineup). It just doesn't make any sense, even with the gravity pull of one's heart strings tugging you strongly to your college hoop roots.
Sports Prof has posted on July 4 about potential successors to Dunphy at Penn and on July 26 about potential successors to Billy Hahn at LaSalle, and there isn't much more to add at this point. Click here for access to my July archives and then scroll down appropriately.
It's a small story if LaSalle inks John Giannini. There won't be a huge buzz, and LaSalle fans will be scratching their heads and hoping for the best.
It's a huge story if they ink Fran Dunphy. There will be a huge buzz, LaSalle fans will be thinking very positive thoughts, and perhaps Penn fans will be left scratching their heads.
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