Fran O’Hanlon

Fran O’Hanlon (born August 24, 1948)

Teams coached: Lafayette Leopards
Lafayette record: 361-433 (.455)
Overall record: 361-433 (.455)

Career Accomplishments:

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1995-2022 Lafayette
1989-1995 Penn (asst)
1985-1986 Maccabi Haifa
1984-1985 Temple (women’s asst)
1983-1984 Hapoel Haifa
1982-1983 Panteras de Lara

Fran O’Hanlon Facts

  • Francis Brian O’Hanlon
  • Born August 24, 1948
  • Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Alma Mater: Villanova University (BS, 1970)
  • The Philly-native prepped at St. Thomas More before playing for head coach Jack Kraft at Villanova
    • Drafted in the 8th round of the 1970 NBA Draft but instead played the 1970-71 season with the ABA’s Miami Floridians
    • Spent seven seasons playing overseas with Sweden’s Hageby BK; won a Swedish League title in 1980
  • Started coaching in 1982: spent one season with Panteras de Lara (Venezuela) then one with Hapoel Haifa (Israel)
  • Spent one year as an assistant with the Temple women’s team before returning to Israel to coach Maccabi Haifa for one season
  • Final job before jumping to college basketball was a three-year stint at Monsignor Bonner HS, where he won the Philadelphia Catholic League title in 1988 and was twice named league COY
  • Worked as an assistant at Penn for six seasons under longtime Quakers head coach Fran Dunphy
    • Was a part of three Ivy League titles and the corresponding NCAA Tournament berths
      • The 11-seed Quakers upset 6-seed Nebraska in the opening round of the 1994 NCAAs
  • Hired in 1995 to take over the Lafayette men’s team, a position he has held ever since
    • By far the all-time winningest coach in program history, with 351 victories as of the end of the 2020-21 season
    • Taken the Leopards to the NCAA Tournament three times, something that the school had only done (1957) once prior
  • O’Hanlon announced in January 2022 his intention to retire following the 2021-22 season, his 27th at the school
  • Returned to coaching in July 2023, becoming the head coach at Cardinal O’Hara HS in the Philadelphia Catholic League

Fran O’Hanlon Coaching Tree