Former Alabama head football coach Dennis Franchione dies at 75
FILE – Alabama head coach Dennis Franchione watches a replay on the scoreboard Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002, in a game against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Jackson Laizure)
ACTION 8 LACE UP SPORTS (WAKA) – Former Alabama head football coach Dennis Franchione, who also coached at other schools, has died at 75.
CBS Sports reports that his family confirmed the death to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper in Texas.
Franchione was the head coach at Alabama in the 2001 and 2002 seasons, as the team was trying to emerge from a dark period. In 2001, the Crimson Tide went 7-5 following a 3-8 season the year before. Then in 2002, Franchione led Alabama to a 10-3 record, which included an Independence Bowl victory.
The team appeared to be on solid ground when Alabama reportedly offered him a 10-year contract, but with NCAA sanctions looming for violations under former coach Mike DuBose, Franchione stunned Alabama and the college football world by leaving for Texas A&M.
Overall, Franchione recorded more than 200 wins and eight conference championships in his career, including eight bowl appearances. Besides Alabama, his career took him to New Mexico, TCU, Texas A&M and multiple tenures at Texas State.
He also won big at the sub-FBS level, capturing five straight conference crowns at Pittsburg State, before landing at TCU in 1998. He immediately turned around the team from 1-11 to three straight winning records.
Franchione was diagnosed with cancer a decade ago, according to the Star-Telegram. The cancer returned this year, and he was moved to hospice care in Austin.
— CBS Sports
