December 06, 2002
Texas A&M University President Dr. Robert M. Gates and newly-appointed Director of Athletics Bill Byrne introduced Dennis Franchione as the Aggies' 26th head football coach Friday morning in front of a packed Burkhart Auditorium at Kyle Field.
Franchione assumes leadership of the Texas A&M football program from former head coach R.C. Slocum, who coached the Aggies for 14 seasons before stepping down on Monday.
"It's been an intense week for all of us," Gates said. "There have been elements of sadness, mixed with joy and expectation. I think at the end of the week the term T.G.I.F. has new meaning for me. At Texas A&M, we strive for excellence and integrity in all that we do in both academics and athletics. These two gentlemen in front of you exemplify those qualities and we are proud to have them as a part of the Aggie family now."
Added Byrne, "This is really going to be an exciting era for Texas A&M University. When you talk about hiring coaches, one of the things you always look for is someone who has the same philosophy. Someone who wants to teach students the right way. Someone who wants to stretch students, not only athletically but spiritually. You want to make sure students have a great experience when they are undergraduates competing for a great university."
Franchione, 51, has coached football for 30 years, including 20 seasons as a head coach. Franchione has compiled a 155-73-2 record (.678 percent) as a head coach. He ranks as the No. 8 winningest active head coach in NCAA Div. IA in terms of winning percentage (minimum -- five years). His 155 career victories stand No. 7 among active Div. IA head coaches. The Kansas native comes to Aggieland from the University of Alabama where he served as head coach for the past two seasons. Franchione also served head coaching stints at Texas Christian (1998-2000), New Mexico (1992-97), Southwest Texas State (1990-91), Pittsburg (Kan.) State (1985-89), and Southwestern (Kan.) College (1981-82).
"It's great to be back here in the great state of Texas where football is so important at all levels," Franchione said. "---I have had a deep passion for the high school coaches. The high school football in this state is second to none. They're such a great and professional group leading those programs and certainly helps our opportunity to have great programs at the university level with the tremendous job they do. I look forward to being back working with the Texas high school coaches."
Franchione takes over an Aggie football team that finished the 2002 regular season with a 6-6 record. Texas A&M hasn't had a losing football season since 1983 and has won seven conference championships since 1985.
"It's an exciting time to be here in many ways," Franchione said. "It's exciting because of the commitment we have to compete at the highest level, starting with the Regents I've met and the conversations we've had; to Dr. Gates and the comments and things he's shared with me; to the hiring of one of the premier athletics directors in Bill Byrne; to the facilities that are in place and the ones that are nearing completion; to the academic center and the impact it can have on student-athletes. I'm coming here for a lot of reasons. Tradition and history are certainly a part of that. It's been 21 years, I believe, since Texas A&M has had a losing season. That's exciting to me because it's my first time to take one over that has a foundation in place and is not coming off a losing season. That's a nice way to get started and I'm certainly ready for that."
It took just two years at Alabama for Franchione to turn a three-win team into a 10-game winner. He inherited a Crimson Tide team that had posted a 3-8 record in 2000, but Franchione led his first Alabama squad to a 7-5 record and victory in the Independence Bowl. In 2002, Franchione guided the Crimson Tide to a 10-3 record to complete the remarkable turnaround. In two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Franchione compiled a 17-8 record.
A 1973 graduate of Pittsburg State, Franchione went to Alabama after a three-year stint at TCU where he forged a 25-10 overall mark and a 16-7 record in Western Athletic Conference games. In the six seasons prior to his arrival, the Horned Frogs had won a combined 24 games. Under Franchione's tutelage, TCU won back-to-back WAC titles in 1999 and 2000. Following the 2000 season, the WAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year played for Franchione at TCU.
In 1998, Franchione led the Frogs to a win over Southern California in the Sun Bowl, marking the first bowl victory for TCU since the 1957 Cotton Bowl. In 1999, TCU beat East Carolina in the Mobile Alabama Bowl. He led the Frogs back to Mobile in 2000.
Starting his head coaching career at Southwestern (Kansas) College in 1981, Franchione finished with a 14-4-2 record before moving to his alma mater, Pittsburg (Kansas) State, in 1984. During his five years as head coach of the Gorillas, he was twice named NAIA "Coach of the Year" and compiled a 53-6-0 record. He led Pittsburg State to five straight conference titles, five consecutive playoff appearances and a regular-season winning streak of 45 consecutive games. He was also recognized as National "Coach of the Year" in 1986 and 1987.
Franchione then spent two seasons at Southwest Texas (1990-91) where he compiled a 13-9-0 record. He was named Region VI "Coach of the Year" in 1990.
At New Mexico, Franchione took that program from a 3-8 mark in 1992 to a WAC Mountain Division title in 1997 with a 9-4 record. New Mexico played in the 1997 Insight.com Bowl.
He moved to TCU in 1998 and promptly took a team that went 1-10 the year before to a 7-5 mark and a spot in the Sun Bowl where the Frogs beat Southern Cal, 28-19. The following season, Franchione led the Frogs to an 8-4 mark, a WAC co-championship and another bowl berth.
Franchione serves on the AFCA Ethics Committee.
Born in Girard, Kansas, Franchione and his wife Kim have two daughters, Ashley and Libby. He also has a son, Brad, who is a defensive coach at Tennessee-Martin.