The U.S. Basketball Writers Association named Temple University men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy the recipient of the fourth annual Dean Smith Award on Monday.
The USBWA gives the award to coaches who exemplify the same values of Smith, who coached the University of North Carolina from 1961-97 and earned induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983. Honesty, off-court accomplishments and community service are among the virtues considered for the award.
For the past 23 years, Dunphy has been involved with the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative, which is a collaboration between the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society to fundraise for cancer research.
Last year, Dunphy won the 2017 American Cancer Society Circle of Honor Award, which highlights “extraordinary commitment” to Coaches vs. Cancer.
Dunphy is a member of the Philly 6 chapter of Coaches vs Cancer and is part of the program’s national council.
Dunphy’s community efforts also being on the Honorary Board of Directors for the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, which is a youth mentorship program. Dunphy has also taught a course in the Fox School of Business for the past 11 years.
Dunphy will receive the award at the Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off luncheon on Nov. 1 in Philadelphia.
Fran
Congrats on your award.. keep up the great work
Walt