Dennis Franchione, the longtime college football coach whose career included stops at TCU, Alabama and Texas A&M, has died, TCU said in a statement. He was 75.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which first reported the news, said Franchione’s family confirmed his death Tuesday, adding that he battled cancer for a decade. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and 2021, but it had been in remission. Family friends said the cancer returned earlier this year and Franchione recently went into hospice, the newspaper reported.
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Franchione worked his way up the college football coaching ranks during a career that spanned more than 30 years. Beginning as an assistant at Kansas State in 1978, he coached at New Mexico, TCU, Alabama, Texas A&M and Texas State.
He compiled a 213-135-2 record before stepping down from Texas State in 2015 and retiring from coaching. Franchione led his teams to nine conference championships, nine bowl games, four NAIA playoff games and one NCAA Division II playoff appearance.
“TCU mourns alongside the Franchione family at the passing of ‘Coach Fran,’” TCU athletic director Mike Buddie said in a statement. “Our fortunes as a department would not be what they are today without the efforts of Coach Franchione, his staff, and players. Beyond his talent as a football coach, he was a beloved father, mentor, and friend to so many. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kim, and the entire Franchione family.”
TCU was coming off a 1-10 season when Franchione left New Mexico after six years to take over the Horned Frogs, who in his debut season in 1999 had a 7-5 record capped by a Sun Bowl win over Southern California. With future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU finished tied atop the Western Athletic Conference standings each of the next two seasons, going 8-4 with another bowl win in 1999 before a 10-1 regular season in 2000 that led to him being hired by Alabama.
Franchione was replaced at TCU by his defensive coordinator, Gary Patterson, who had winning records in 15 of his 22 seasons as head coach and six times was top 10 in the final AP Top 25 poll. That included an undefeated 13-0 season in 2010 when the Frogs finished second after a win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.
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