Dennis Franchione

Dennis Wayne Franchione, born on March 28, 1951, in Girard, Kansas, is a highly experienced former American college football coach. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1973 from Pittsburg State University. Franchione’s extensive coaching career spans several institutions, beginning with high school football in Missouri and Kansas before transitioning to collegiate roles. His professional journey is marked by significant team turnarounds and consistent championship contention.

Franchione led various college football programs, demonstrating a consistent ability to build competitive teams. His head coaching positions included Southwestern College (1981-1982), Pittsburg State University (1985-1989), the University of New Mexico (1992-1997), Texas Christian University (1998-2000), the University of Alabama (2001-2002), Texas A&M University (2003-2007), and Texas State University across two tenures (1990-1991 and 2011-2015). Over his 27 seasons as a head coach, Franchione secured eight conference championships and one divisional crown. Notable achievements include leading TCU to their first bowl victory since 1957 and their first top-25 finish since 1959. He also orchestrated a significant turnaround at Alabama, taking a 3-8 team to 7-5 in his first season and 10-3 in his second. His career record at major schools stands at 127-110, with a 3-4 bowl record, and he was twice recognized as WAC Coach of the Year.

After initially retiring from Texas A&M in 2007, Franchione transitioned to a broadcasting role as a color commentator for ESPN Radio in 2008. He briefly considered other coaching opportunities before returning to Texas State University in 2011, guiding the program’s transition into Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level football and into the Sun Belt Conference. He retired from coaching in December 2015, concluding a distinguished career that saw him accumulate 213 overall wins and leave a lasting impact on numerous college football programs.