Dennis Franchione - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Dennis Wayne Franchione (born March 28, 1951), also known as Coach Fran, is an American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University

Texas State University–San Marcos

Texas State University–San Marcos is a doctoral-granting university located in San Marcos, Texas...

, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011. Franchione has also served as the head football coach at Southwestern College

Southwestern College (Kansas)

Southwestern College is a four-year private college affiliated with the United Methodist Church located in Winfield, Kansas, United States. It was founded in 1885 and graduated its first class in 1889. In addition to its campus programs, it offers online programs.-Academics:The main campus is a...

in Winfield, Kansas

Winfield, Kansas

Winfield is a city situated along the Walnut River in the west-central part of Cowley County, located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,301...

(1981–1982), Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,100 students located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal...

(1985–1989), the University of New Mexico

University of New Mexico

The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...

(1992–1997), Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...

(1998–2000), the University of Alabama

University of Alabama

The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....

(2001–2002), and Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...

(2003–2007). In his 25 seasons as a head coach in college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

, Franchione has won eight conference championships (albeit six of them at the sub-Division I level) and one divisional crown.

Personal life

Franchione was born in Girard, Kansas

Girard, Kansas

Girard is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,789.- History :...

. He received his bachelor of arts

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

in 1973 from Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University

in Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, in southeastern Kansas, United States. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and in southeastern Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,233.-History:...

. Franchione and his wife, the former Kim Kraus, began dating after he took her on a tour of his alma mater, Pittsburg State, at the request of her father. They married shortly after, in 1977, while living in Peabody, Kansas

Peabody, Kansas

Peabody is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. It is named after F.H. Peabody, of Boston, former vice-president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Peabody is well known in the region for its Independence Day Celebration on July 4, and its historic 1880's downtown main street...

. The couple have two daughters, Elizabeth Ann and Ashley Renee. Franchione also has a son, Brad Franchione

Brad Franchione

Bradley Todd Franchione is the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas State.-Early life:Franchione is the son of college football coach and former ESPN announcer Dennis Franchione and Linda Solomon. Franchione was born in Miller, Missouri, and grew up near Pittsburg, Kansas...

from a previous marriage, who was the head football coach at Blinn College

Blinn College

Blinn College is a two-year academic institution based in Brenham, Texas with campuses in Brenham, Bryan, Schulenburg, and Sealy. While the Brenham campus is Blinn's main campus, more than 70% of students attend the Bryan campus....

prior to his current position with his father at Texas State. Brad and his wife, Rebecca, have three children.

Early career

After graduating from Pittsburg State, Franchione served as the head football coach at Miller High School in Miller, Missouri

Miller, Missouri

Miller is a city in Lawrence County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 699.-Geography:Miller is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land...

from 1973 to 1974. He then served as an assistant coach at Mulvane High School in Mulvane, Kansas

Mulvane, Kansas

Mulvane is a city in Sedgwick and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,111.-History:...

in 1975. From 1976 to 1977, he served as the head coach at Peabody-Burns High School

Peabody-Burns Junior/Senior High School

Peabody-Burns Junior/Senior High School is a public secondary school in Peabody, Kansas, USA operated by Unified School District 398, and serves students of grades 7 to 12. It is the sole high school in the district for Peabody, Burns, Wonsevu, and nearby rural areas of Marion / Chase / Harvey /...

in Peabody, Kansas

Peabody, Kansas

. In 1978, Franchione was hired to be an assistant coach at Kansas State University

Kansas State University

Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...

, a position he would hold until he was hired to be the head coach at Southwestern College

Southwestern College Moundbuilders

Southwestern College athletic teams are known as the Moundbuilders . They participate in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.Men's Sports* Basketball...

in Winfield, Kansas

Winfield, Kansas

in 1981. During his two years at Southwestern, he led the team to a 14–4–2 record, a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. It is commonly called "The Kansas Conference", and as the name implies, all members are located in Kansas...

title, and a Sunflower Bowl

Sunflower Bowl

The Sunflower Bowl was a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics post-season college football bowl game played in Winfield, Kansas from 1982 to 1986.-Game results:...

win. His nine wins in 1982 tied the school record and was Southwestern's most since 1967.

After two seasons as offensive coordinator

Offensive coordinator

An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...

at Tennessee Tech

Tennessee Technological University

Tennessee Technological University, popularly known as Tennessee Tech, is an accredited public university located in Cookeville, Tennessee, US, a city approximately seventy miles east of Nashville. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute , and before that as Dixie College, the...

in 1983 and 1984, Franchione was hired as the head coach at his alma mater, Pittsburg State University. During his five seasons with the Gorillas, he led the team to a 53–6 record, 37–1 in conference, won five conference titles, and was named NAIA

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...

National Coach of the Year twice. He tied the school record for victories in a single season three times before breaking it with the 12 victories of his 1989 team. In 1990, he joined Texas State University, where he spent two years and compiled a 13–9 record.

New Mexico

In 1992, Franchione took his first head coaching job in Division I-A at the University of New Mexico. In his six seasons at New Mexico, he led the Lobos to a 33–36 record, including a 9–4 mark in 1997, which earned the Lobos a WAC

Western Athletic Conference

The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...

Mountain Division Championship and an invitation to play in the Insight.com Bowl, their first bowl berth since 1961. During the 1996 and 1997 seasons, his roster included current NFL Pro Bowler Brian Urlacher

Brian Urlacher

Brian Keith Urlacher is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He attended the University of New Mexico, where he was one of the school's most decorated athletes. In addition to setting multiple university records, Urlacher earned consideration for the...

TCU

In 1998, Franchione became the head coach at TCU

Texas Christian University

and promptly turned their fortunes around, going from 1–10 the year before to 7–5 and a berth in the Sun Bowl

Sun Bowl

The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...

, where the Horned Frogs

TCU Horned Frogs football

The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...

defeated Southern California and set the record for least rushing yards allowed in a bowl game. He again led the Horned Frogs to a bowl game in 1999 on the legs of junior tailback LaDainian Tomlinson

LaDainian Tomlinson

LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...

, who led the nation in rushing. Going into the 2000 season, the Frogs were being touted as a possible BCS Bowl contender before a disappointing loss to San Jose State

San José State Spartans Football

The San Jose State Spartans represent San Jose State University and the Silicon Valley in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The Spartans play all home games in Spartan Stadium, which offers a seating capacity of over 30,000...

. Despite the loss, the Frogs finished the season 10–1, were co-champions of the Western Athletic Conference, and accepted a bid to the Mobile Alabama Bowl. Before the scheduled bowl game, Franchione accepted a head coaching offer by the University of Alabama

Alabama Crimson Tide football

. Franchione was voted by TCU players to lead the team in the bowl game, which Franchione's defensive coordinator and newly-named head coach Gary Patterson

Gary Patterson

Gary Patterson is the head coach of the TCU Horned Frogs college football team. He grew up in Rozel, Kansas and played football at Dodge City Community College and Kansas State University. Patterson is married to Kelsey Patterson . He has three sons: Josh, Cade and Blake...

supported; however, after some controversy at the Heisman Trophy ceremony, TCU Athletic Director Eric Hyman reversed the vote, allowing Patterson to coach the bowl game.
During Franchione's three years at TCU, he led the Horned Frogs to their first bowl victory since 1957, their first top 25 finish since 1959, and held the highest winning percentage among TCU coaches since Francis Schmidt

Francis Schmidt

Francis Albert Schmidt was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Tulsa , the University of Arkansas , Texas Christian University , Ohio State University , and the University of Idaho , compiling a...

(1929–1933).

Alabama

Franchione became the head coach at the University of Alabama

University of Alabama

The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....

in 2001 and led the team, which had posted a 3–8 record the prior season, to a 7–5 record in 2001 and a 10–3 record in 2002. The 2001 team won the Independence Bowl

Independence Bowl

The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....

, which became Alabama's first bowl win after five seasons. The 2002 team finished with a 6–2 conference record, placing first in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference

Southeastern Conference

The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...

. However, due to NCAA sanctions resulting from violations of the previous Alabama head coach, Mike DuBose

Mike DuBose

Mike DuBose is a former University of Alabama football player and the current defensive line coach for the Memphis Tigers. DuBose came to Memphis from Millsaps College, where he was the Majors' head coach from 2006 to 2009. He resurrected the school's struggling football program by winning...

, the 2002 team was ineligible for postseason games, including the SEC Championship Game

SEC Championship Game

The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...

. The turnaround success Franchione made prompted Alabama officials to offer Franchione a 10-year contract extension worth $

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

15 million. Franchione, however, did not sign the offer. Following Alabama's victory over the University of Hawaii

Hawaii Warriors football

The Hawaii Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team, which is currently coached by Greg McMackin, is part of the Western Athletic Conference until 2012, when the team joins the Mountain West Conference.The Hawaii Warriors...

and the dismissal of Texas A&M

Texas A&M University

head coach R. C. Slocum

R. C. Slocum

Richard Copeland Slocum , better known as R. C. Slocum, was the head football coach at Texas A&M University from 1989 until 2002. He has won more games as coach than anyone else in Texas A&M football history.-Personal:...

, Franchione resigned at Alabama and was named head coach at Texas A&M after publicly stating that he would not leave. His decision was influenced by the NCAA sanctions placed on Alabama, which included a two-year bowl ban, the loss of 21 scholarships over three years, and five years probation. Franchione did not return to Alabama after interviewing for the job, instead informing his players of his decision to accept the job at Texas A&M via video teleconference.

2003–2006 seasons

Upon being hired by Texas A&M, Franchione brought the majority of his coaching staff with him to College Station

College Station, Texas

College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...

for the 2003 season. Franchione signed a contract that was set to pay him a yearly salary of $1.7 million through 2010. The Aggies finished the 2003 season with a 4–8 record, including a nationally televised 77–0 loss to Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners football

The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...

, the worst loss in A&M's history. The season also marked the first losing season for the Aggies after 21 years.

In the 2004 season, Franchione attempted the rebuilding process as the team improved to a 7–5 record, and a 5–3 record in conference play, including a 35–34 overtime loss to unranked Baylor

Baylor Bears football

The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...

at Waco

Waco, Texas

Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....

, ending a 13-game winning streak the Aggies had with Baylor. The Aggies ended up advancing to the Cotton Bowl Classic to play #17 Tennessee

Tennessee Volunteers football

The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....

, but lost 38–7. Following the bowl game, A&M officials extended Franchione's contract through 2012 and raised his salary to $2 million. In June 2005, prior to the 2005 season, Franchione donated $1 million to the A&M athletic department. The donation went toward the construction of an indoor practice facility, which is now located adjacent to Kyle Field

Kyle Field

Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...

.

In the 2005 season, Franchione's Aggies, who were ranked 17th in the preseason AP Poll

AP Poll

The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...

, regressed to a 5–6 record. The 2005 Aggie defense ranked 107th nationally (out of 119 Division I NCAA teams) and allowed 443.8 yards per game. This prompted Franchione to dismiss defensive coordinator

Defensive coordinator

A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...

Carl Torbush

Carl William Torbush Jr. was the college football Defensive Coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, KS...

. Franchione then hired former Western Michigan

Western Michigan Broncos football

The Western Michigan Broncos football program represents Western Michigan University in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I and the Mid-American Conference . Western Michigan has competed in football since 1906, when they played three games in their inaugural season...

head coach Gary Darnell

Gary Darnell

Gary Brent Darnell is a former American college football player and coach. Darnell is native of Arkansas and an alumnus of Oklahoma State University, where he played college football...

to replace Torbush.

In the 2006 season, the Aggies again rebounded under Franchione, posting a 9–3 regular season record that included Franchione's first win over rival Texas

Texas Longhorns football

The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...

. The 9–3 record also marked the most wins for A&M since 1998. However, in that season's Oklahoma game, which ESPN's College GameDay visited, Franchione was criticized by fans for making a field goal

Field goal (football)

A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...

call with 3:28 left in the game. The 18th-ranked Sooners ended up defeating the 21st-ranked Aggies, 17–16. In the postseason, the Aggies faced 20th-ranked California

California Golden Bears football

The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...

in the Holiday Bowl

Holiday Bowl

The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...

and lost 45–10.

Newsletter controversy

On September 27, 2007, Franchione discontinued selling a secret email newsletter to athletic boosters

Booster club

A booster club is an organization that is formed to support an associated club, sports team, or organization. Booster clubs are popular in American schools at the high school and university level...

who paid US$ 1,200 annually for team information that Franchione had refused to release to the public. The newsletter, called "VIP Connection", had been written by Franchione's personal assistant, Mike McKenzie, and included, but was not limited to, specific injury reports, recruitment information, and Franchione's critical assessments of players. Started in the fall of 2004, the newsletter attracted 27 recipients, six of whom received the newsletter for free.
20 of the recipients have been disclosed. The boosters were asked to sign a confidentiality statement to assure the information in the newsletter would not be used for gambling. Though Franchione and McKenzie denied gaining profit from the newsletter, Franchione stated that proceeds went to the company that managed his now-defunct website, coachfran.com. The newsletter was discovered by athletic director Bill Byrne

Bill Byrne

Clarence William "Bill" Byrne, II is the current athletic director of Texas A&M University, a position he has held since January 2003.-Early life:...

after it was presented to him by a San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...

reporter, who had received it through an unidentified A&M booster. Byrne immediately instructed Franchione to discontinue the newsletter, at which time Franchione complied. The last issue of the newsletter, dated September 13, 2007, revealed that Franchione earned a net profit of $37,806.32 from the newsletter. In a press conference the following Tuesday, October 2, Franchione apologized in front of A&M football players and expressed his love for the job and the university, and his desire to "elevate the program to its highest level". A&M players also expressed their support for Franchione as a coach. Shortly after, an investigation had been launched to look into the matter, conducted by Bill Byrne and A&M's NCAA compliance officer

Compliance (regulation)

In general, compliance means conforming to a rule, such as a specification, policy, standard or law. Regulatory compliance describes the goal that corporations or public agencies aspire to in their efforts to ensure that personnel are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws and...

, David Batson. The investigation concluded that Franchione violated two NCAA rules and one of the Big 12's "Principals and Standards of Sportsmanship". These findings were in turn reported to the NCAA. The NCAA requires coaches to submit reports that include "athletically related income and benefits from sources outside of the institution", which is also required by Franchione's contract.

On Thursday, October 11, 2007 Texas A&M officials issued a "letter of admonishment" and ordered that the website CoachFran.com be shut down. Additionally, Franchione was instructed to no longer employ "any staff members that could be construed as representing Texas A&M or providing information or reports relative to his position as head coach at Texas A&M". Consequently, the university fired the writer of the newsletter, Mike McKenzie. Byrne has been quoted as saying "The Aggies are embarrassed right now. This has been a very unfortunate incident we do not want to experience again." Byrne also stated that the incident would be included in Franchione's performance evaluation at the end of the season.

The discovery of the newsletter led CBS Sportsline (now CBSSports.com

CBSSports.com

CBSSports.com was founded in 1994 as SportsLine USA, and today is a CBS-owned website that provides sports scores, news, statistics, live and on-demand video, mobile apps, e-commerce, fantasy sports products, services, and information..Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, CBSSports.com it is...

) columnist Gregg Doyel

Gregg Doyel

- Early life and education :Gregg Doyel was born in Hawaii. He grew up in Mississippi where his father was a law professor at the University of Mississippi...

to call for Franchione to be fired. Doyel wrote that many of Franchione's columns violated federal health privacy law, announced firings of assistant coaches before that assistant was told himself, and reported injuries that weren't disclosed to the press. He also suggested that Franchione may have known the newsletter's recipients were using the information to make better-informed bets on Aggie games.

Resignation

After the Aggies' 34–17 loss at Miami in September 2007, Franchione's coaching abilities were brought into question. A questionable football season marred by extensive defeats combined with the newsletter scandal left the administration little choice. On November 5, 2007, several news sources announced that Franchione and Texas A&M were in the process of settling an agreement that would end Franchione's tenure as head coach at the end of the 2007 football season. Texas A&M officials stated the reports were false rumors and that Franchione's performance was to be reviewed at the end of the season. In a press conference the following day, Franchione refused to answer questions regarding his future at A&M.

After Franchione led the Aggies to a 38–30 victory over the 13th-ranked Texas Longhorns

Texas Longhorns football

, he announced his resignation in the post-game press conference. In the press conference, after he discussed the game, he read out loud a farewell letter that he had prepared beforehand. His last words were "Thank you, and gig 'em." Franchione immediately left the press conference as A&M athletic director Bill Byrne

Bill Byrne

Clarence William "Bill" Byrne, II is the current athletic director of Texas A&M University, a position he has held since January 2003.-Early life:...

started to speak, with friends and family members following him. The following day, Byrne named defensive coordinator

Defensive coordinator

Gary Darnell

Gary Brent Darnell is a former American college football player and coach. Darnell is native of Arkansas and an alumnus of Oklahoma State University, where he played college football...

as interim head coach. Darnell led the Aggies to a 24-17 defeat at the hands of Penn State in the Alamo Bowl

Alamo Bowl

The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...

on December 29, 2007. On November 26, 2007, three days after Franchione resigned, former Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

head coach, and Houston Texans

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

' offensive coordinator Mike Sherman

Mike Sherman

Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...

was announced as the new head football coach. On December 7, 2007, the Texas A&M Board of Regents approved a reduced buyout

Buyout

A buyout, in finance, is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity of a company, or a majority share of the stock of the company is acquired. The acquiror thereby "buys out" control of the target company....

of $4.4 million for Franchione.

Overall performance at Texas A&M

During his five-season tenure at A&M, Franchione did not produce a team that finished higher than third in the Big 12 South. Though he was able to bring recruiting classes that ranked among the top 13 nationally from 2003 to 2005, none of his teams ranked in the postseason AP

AP Poll

or Coaches

Coaches Poll

The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....

national polls. He also compiled a 4–16 record against ranked teams, and a 4–14 record against Texas

Texas Longhorns football

, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners football

, Nebraska

Nebraska Cornhuskers football

The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...

, and Texas Tech

Texas Tech Red Raiders football

Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...

. Additionally, he compiled a 19–21 Big 12 record.

2007–2010

Franchione moved to Horseshoe Bay, Texas

Horseshoe Bay, Texas

Horseshoe Bay is a city in Burnet and Llano Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Prior to its incorporation in September 2005, it was a census-designated place . The CDP population was 3,337 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

. In January 2008, he began to look for potential broadcasting jobs, and in July 2008, signed a 16-game contract to serve as a color commentator

Color commentator

A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...

for ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...

during the 2008 college football season. His debut was the Alabama vs. Clemson game on August 30.

Franchione interviewed for the San Diego State University

San Diego State University

San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...

head coaching job in 2008 when the school fired Chuck Long

Chuck Long

Chuck Long is an American football coach. He played quarterback in college at Iowa for Hayden Fry and professionally with the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams. He is an inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame. In the January 2008 issue of San Diego Magazine he was chosen as one of...

, and ended up being a finalist for the job alongside then-Ball State head coach Brady Hoke

Brady Hoke

Brady Hoke is the head football coach at the University of Michigan. He is in his first season. He grew up in Ohio and attended Ball State University where he played linebacker from 1977 to 1980...

and UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker

DeWayne Walker

-External links:* *...

. The job eventually went to Hoke.

Franchione applied for the head coaching position at UNLV

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...

, following Mike Sanford

Mike Sanford

Mike Sanford is a college football coach, formerly the head coach at at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was recently released from his job as offensive assistant at the University of Louisville...

's termination as head football coach after the 2009 season. Franchione interviewed with UNLV's Athletic Director Jim Livengood on December 21, 2009 but was not selected.

Texas State

Following Brad Wright

Brad Wright (American football)

Brad Wright is an American football coach. He formerly served as head coach at Texas State University–San Marcos until being fired on November 23, 2010....

's dismissal, Texas State University engaged Parker Executive Search to help them find their next head football coach. Finalists included former Colorado

Colorado Buffaloes football

The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...

head coach Dan Hawkins, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners football

co-defensive coordinator Bobby Jack Wright

Bobby Jack Wright

-External links:*...

, former Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster

Tim Brewster

Tim Brewster is an American football player and coach. He most recently served as the head coach of the University of Minnesota from 2007 until he was fired midway through the Golden Gophers' 2010 season.-Playing career:...

, and Franchione. On January 7, 2011, Franchione was named head coach of Texas State's football

Texas State Bobcats football

The Texas State Bobcats football program is a college football team that represents Texas State University-San Marcos. The team is currently categorized as an FCS Independent as it transitions to FBS. They will become a member of the FBS Western Athletic Conference as of July 1, 2012. The program...

program and signed a five-year contract valued at $350,000 per year.

Head coaching record

Source:

External links

Texas State profile

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.