Dennis Franchione: New Texas State HC

[El Gato]

Multiple sources on bobcatfans.com and bobcatreport.com are reporting that Dennis Franchione is to be named at as the Texas State Head Coach tomorrow at a 2PM press conference.

Bobcatreport.com is reporting that OU assistant Bobby Jack Wright and former Boise & Colorado University HC Dan Hawkins were the other finalists.

[Ivytalk]

He'll be slumming in San Marcos until the next FBS job opens up.

[DFW HOYA]

Well, at least it's familiar to him.

[TSUalum05]

BRYAN, TX -- Dennis Franchione will return to Texas State to be the Bobcats next head football coach. The official announcement will come during a 2pm press conference Friday in San Marcos.

Coach Fran has been away from the sidelines for the last three seasons after coaching five years at Texas A&M.

He resigned following a 38-30 win over Texas in 2007 and served as a color analyst for ESPN radio for two of the last three years.

He is no stranger to the Bobcats. Coach Fran coached at Texas State (formerly known as Southwest Texas State) for two seasons in the early 90's.



http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Coach_Fran_Is_Texas_States_Main_Man_113049209.html

[El Gato]

Funny thing is, he was at A&M in 2005 when we nearly took them down in at Kyle Field. That was the year with Barrick Nealy at QB and our semi final playoff loss to UNI after Bailiff took the knee. Those were the days.

[TexasTerror]

Not a good move, IMO...

TXST needed a younger coach, someone who could grasp the concept of selling the program on the field and off the field. Not really sure they had the candidate. Shawn Watson of Nebraska is even over 50 years old. Was thinking a guy in their younger 40s, perhaps even late 30s who had some coordinator experience at a major institution (think Turner Gil or Kevin Sumlin a few years ago).

Fran leaves a bad taste in several mouths over how he brought the A&M program, his NCAA questions and more...

El Gato - is it true that the TXST admin offered the job up to BJW and Long before settling on Fran? Read somewhere that this may have been why he pulled out, before getting right back in it.

[TexasTerror]

Opportunity missed...


# Wright was very much a finalist after having a solid interview with the administration at Texas State. He left the meeting feeling good about his chances of landing the job.

# His interview went so well that the Bobcats did extend a contract offer, but this is where it gets dicey: Included in Wright's contract was a stipulation that Texas State could fire him at any moment but then reassign him to another position within the University system.

# Wright took a look at the contract with his lawyers and turned the job down.

http://smdrcatscradle.blogspot.com/2011/01/college-football-coaching-search-update_06.html

[MaximumBobcat]

Missed opportunity of BJW? Fran is a much better hire than BJW.

I'd put Fran above BJW and Long and below Hawkins and Kragthorpe. Just my personal opinion.

Fran has proven to be a winner everywhere he has ever been a head coach. May not be a real flashy hire, but it was probably the smart pick.

[TexasTerror]

Missed opportunity of BJW? Fran is a much better hire than BJW.

I'd put Fran above BJW and Long and below Hawkins and Kragthorpe. Just my personal opinion.

There's no question that Hawkins and Kragthorpe would have been better coaches... Fran is the "name" compared to BJW and Long, but I think this continues the status quo at TXST. This search dragged out way too long for "nothing to happen".


Fran has proven to be a winner everywhere he has ever been a head coach. May not be a real flashy hire, but it was probably the smart pick.

Did he win at TAMU? I guess he was 32-28, but he did not leave that program in a better place than they were when he got there. Trouble heightens for TXST if Fran Sr. brings Jr. along...

[laxVik]

Wright who? Come on TXST now has to compete with a plethra of Texas FBS schools for recruits. A "name" goes a long way trying to segue a program to the next level.

[blueballs]

He'll be slumming in San Marcos until the next FBS job opens up.

... or until the NCAA comes a knockin.'

[TSUalum05]

This may set up his son to be the "coach in waiting" -- with the level of sucess that he's achieved at the JC level I can imagine Texas State giving the younger Franch' a shot as long as there are no NCAA issue. I would imagine his son would do well...I still question how he got Cam Newton from Florida

[lionsrking2]

I don't see how it's a "bad choice." I don't doubt there may have been a better choice out there somewhere, but you're talking about a guy who already knows the lay of the land, has name recognition and a deep understanding of recruiting the state of Texas. Even if his plan is only to coach a couple of years, he can at least get them through the transition phase, on the way to FBS. No matter who they hired, the next couple of years are going to be difficult for the Bobcats.

[El Gato]

Well his contract his for five years, and in the press conference today he did say he planned on ending his career with Texas State. I honestly do not see him as up and leaving if things go well for him. His son, is another story though.

[TexasTerror]

Apparently Fran's last stop in San Marcos was during the school's time as a Div II...??? Shame on the Associated Press...


It is a homecoming of sorts of Franchione, who coached the Bobcats from 1990-91 when the school was called Southwest Texas State and played in Division II. From there, Franchione left to take his first Division I head coaching job at New Mexico, where he began to cultivate a reputation as a rebuilder.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/college/7371282.html

[TexasTerror]

Per Brent at BobcatReport.com (http://bobcatreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=122&sid=796), these are the coaches that are likely to fill the voids on Franchione's new staff...

OC
Adam Dorrel - offensive coordinator at Northwest Missouri St

OL
Dennis Darnell - offensive line coach at Blinn

DC
Brad Franchione - former head coach at Blinn

DB
Van Malone - secondary coach at Tulsa

LB
Mike Hudson - LB coach at Montana

[DG Cowboy]

How long will it be before he uses the concocted rantings of a ficticious UTSA fan to motivate his players against Larry Coker?