BRENHAM  |  BRYAN  |  SCHULENBURG  |  SEALY

Blinn College Quick Links Academic Divisions  Brenham Academic Divisions  Bryan Academic Technology Accounting Office Administration Admissions Alternative Teachers Certification Application and Forms Athletics Blinn Bookstore  Brenham Blinn Bookstore  Bryan Brenham Physical Plant Bullock Computer Lab Business Office Calendars Campus Map  Brenham Campus Map  Bryan Catalog Computing Services Contact Us Counseling Course Transfer Information Degree Concentration Developmental Lab - Bryan Disability Services Electronic HS Transcripts Emergency Preparedness Enrollment Services Faculty Development FAFSA Financial Aid Food Services Graduation Information Handbooks Housing Human Resources Institutional Research International Students Intramural Sports Learning Center  Brenham Learning Center  Bryan Library Maintenance-Bryan Off Campus Programs Online Advising Online Orientation Open Computer Lab  Bryan Parent Information Program Evaluation Recruiting Request Information Schedule A Visit Scholarships Security Service Learning Small Business Development Center Star of the Republic Museum Student Organizations Teaching Scholars TEAM Program Technical Education  Brenham Technical Education  Bryan Telephone Registration Testing & Testing Dates Texas Common Application Texas Success Initiative Plan Tours Transcript Request Transfer Information Tuition and Fees University Connections Workforce Education Writing Center - Bryan

Back to Weekly Review

Dr. W. W. Performing Arts Center

Activities Calendars

Athletics

Star of the Republic Museum

Weather

 

Acrobat Reader

Page maintained by: ckelm@blinn.edu

Weekly Review

News and Events from the campuses of Blinn College

---

November 30, 2009

Blinn coach returns home for national championship game

Brad Franchione has fond memories of Southeast Kansas and hopes to forge an even greater tie with the area by winning the NJCAA National Championship game in Pittsburg. When he steps on the field at Carnie Smith Stadium on Sunday, he will be following in the footsteps of his father, Dennis Franchione, who coached the Pittsburg State Gorillas from 1985-1989.

“If you look back at some of the footage from those games, I’ll bet you see me as a kid on the sidelines,” Brad Franchione said.

“Brad playing high school football at Pittsburg High; me having coached at Pittsburg State where Brad is going to play for a national championship, it’s special,” Dennis Franchione said.

Brad was born in Miller, MO, where his father coached high school ball. He grew up in Weir and played defensive back at Pittsburg High under Coach Larry Garman, who has since retired and serves as a volunteer coach at Pittsburg State. Their team won the state title in 1990 giving the young Franchione his first taste of glory.

Brad’s mother, Linda Solomon, still lives in Weir. She says Brad told her when he was about 15 years old that he wanted to be a coach. “He has always been a student of the game. He was one of those kids who from about age 10 could tell you all the stats on a team.”

Jerry Ross, Brad’s cousin, witnessed his best friend’s organizational skills at an early age, and says Brad will outwork anyone he goes up against. He recalls the planning that went into simple games on the empty lot behind Brad’s house.

“It was never just a pickup game. Brad would mow and stripe that lot. We would have 12 kids to play six-on-six and it would be organized and prepared,” Ross said.

When he graduated high school in 1992, Brad chose the University of New Mexico where he could continue his education and be a student coach for his father’s team. After getting a Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Education in 1996, he pursued a master’s degree at Arkansas State University, where he was also a graduate assistant with the Red Wolves.

In 1998, he returned to Kansas to be the quarterbacks coach at the community college he hopes to defeat in the Citizens Bank Bowl. After just a year in Fort Scott, Brad began building his resume: defensive line coach at East Central University (OK), linebackers coach at West Alabama and Tennessee-Martin, defensive coordinator at Bacone College (OK), and defensive line coach at Texas A&M-Commerce.

In 2005, Blinn College offered Brad his first head coaching job, and it had the added benefit of positioning him just 44 miles away from his father who was coaching at Texas A&M University. In his second season, Brad led the Buccaneers to a national championship by beating Pearl River in the 2006 Pilgrim’s Pride Bowl.

His father, who is currently a color commentator for ESPN Radio, beams with pride at his son’s success, and says Brad is fortunate to be where he is – playing for a second national title.

“I sent him a text message the other day and I said ‘Some people go to national championship games and some people go to win national championship games,’” Dennis Franchione said.

Dennis will rush from calling the Big 12 Championship game on Saturday in Arlington to see the Bucs play the Greyhounds on Sunday in Pittsburg. The stands will be filled with Blinn supporters even though their addresses are much closer to Fort Scott than Brenham. Brad’s 84-year-old grandmother Mary Ann Wallace has a reserved seat in a sky box.

“It’s fun for me because we have lots of friends and family. Everybody that I’ve talked to is either planning to come to the game or trying to get to come,” Solomon said.

“I know just based on the buzz around town, there’s going to be a big crowd. Brad may have just as much of a crowd as Fort Scott,” Ross said.

For Brad’s children - Wyatt, 5, Isabella, 3, and Gunnar, 6 months – the Citizens Bank Bowl will be a huge family reunion where everyone wears blue and cheers “Go Bucs!”