Dennis Franchione

Dennis Franchione is a retired Football coach known for leading multiple college football programs and achieving eight conference championships and one divisional crown over 27 seasons. After leading multiple college football programs to eight conference championships and one divisional crown over 27 seasons, Dennis Franchione established a distinguished career marked by significant turnarounds and consistent championship contention. Franchione’s head coaching tenure began at Southwestern College (1981-1982) before he moved to Pittsburg State University (1985-1989), where he earned consecutive NAIA Division I Coach of the Year honors in 1986 and 1987. His success continued, securing an AFCA Regional Coach of the Year award in 1989.

Franchione continued his upward trajectory, earning another AFCA Regional Coach of the Year award in 1990 during his first stint at Southwest Texas State University (1990-1991). He then transitioned to the University of New Mexico (1992-1997), where he was twice recognized as WAC Coach of the Year (1993, 1997) and guided the program to a WAC Mountain Division crown in 1997. Moving to Texas Christian University (1998-2000), Franchione orchestrated a historic period, leading the Horned Frogs to their first bowl victory since 1957 and their first top-25 national ranking since 1959. This momentum carried into his tenure at the University of Alabama (2001-2002), where he transformed a 3-8 team to a 7-5 record in his inaugural season, followed by an impressive 10-3 finish in his second year.

Franchione concluded his distinguished career, retiring from coaching in December 2015. Over his extensive 27 seasons as a head coach, he accumulated an impressive 213 overall wins, achieving a 127-110 major school record and a 3-4 bowl record. His significant contributions to the sport have been recognized with his induction into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as a transformative leader in collegiate football.