MARPLE TWP., Pa. – Fran O’Hanlon, who led Lafayette College’s men’s basketball program for 27 years before retiring in 2022, is getting back into the game.
O’Hanlon, a Philadelphia basketball legend who played at Villanova and coached as an assistant at Penn, will take over coaching the Cardinal O’Hara boys’ basketball team this year, the Delaware County school announced Monday.
- Fran O'Hanlon coached at Lafayette College for 27 years
- No one has coached more basketball games in the Patriot League
- The Philadelphia native played high school ball at St. Thomas More and starred at Villanova University
It’s a return for the 74-year-old O’Hanlon to the Philadelphia Catholic League, where he first starred as a guard for St. Thomas More in the mid-1960s.
At Lafayette, O’Hanlon coached more games than anyone else in Patriot League history.
“He has a proven track record and his experience both on and off the court will be a great addition to our basketball program.”Cardinal O’Hara Principal Eileen Murphy
He won four Patriot League championships and took three teams from the Easton campus to the NCAA Tournament. His career record in Easton was 361-433.
“He has a proven track record and his experience both on and off the court will be a great addition to our basketball program,” Cardinal O’Hara Principal Eileen Murphy said in a news release Monday.
Added O’Hara Athletic Director BJ Hogan: “We are thrilled to have Fran O’Hanlon lead our boys' basketball program. Fran and the O’Hara administration are committed to building a top program in the Philadelphia Catholic League and in the PIAA.”
Cardinal O’Hara High School Principal Eileen Murphy ‘89 has announced the hire of Fran O’Hanlon as Cardinal O’Hara Boys’ Basketball Head Coach.
— Cardinal O'Hara (@cardinalohara) July 3, 2023
A well-respected member of the college coaching community, Fran O'Hanlon coached 27 seasons as the Head Coach at Lafayette College. pic.twitter.com/uMCXYXd0bp
O’Hanlon previously coached at Monsignor Bonner High School in the Catholic League.
At Villanova, O’Hanlon co-captained the team that reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in the 1969-70 season. He still holds the Villanova record for assists in a game (16) and averaged 13.1 points per game.
He was selected in the eighth round of the 1970 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He played one season with the Miami Floridians of the old American Basketball Association before playing several years overseas.
O'Hanlon was inducted into the Villanova Hall of Fame in 1992.
