TUSCALOOSA– Former Alabama football coach Dennis Franchione died Tuesday at age 75, according to the Houston Chronicle. The newspaper cited earlier reporting by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Franchione’s two seasons with the Crimson Tide included an Independence Bowl victory and a 10-win finish.

Known to many in college football as “Coach Fran,” Franchione led the Crimson Tide in 2001 and 2002. Alabama went 17-8 during his tenure. His career also took him to TCU, Texas A&M, New Mexico, Pittsburg State, and two stints at Texas State.

Two Seasons at Alabama

Franchione arrived in Tuscaloosa after Alabama finished 3-8 in 2000. In his first season, the Tide improved to 7-5. It closed with a 14-13 victory over Iowa State in the Independence Bowl. That was Alabama’s first bowl win in five years, according to Texas State’s account of his career.

The 2001 season also brought a 31-7 win over Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Alabama’s historical game notes say Franchione became one of the few Tide coaches to win his first Iron Bowl.

Alabama went 10-3 in 2002 and finished 6-2 in Southeastern Conference play, placing first in the SEC West. Among its wins was a 31-0 shutout of LSU in Baton Rouge. However, NCAA sanctions barred the team from the SEC championship game and a bowl. The underlying violations preceded Franchione’s arrival.

The season ended with a win at Hawaii and Franchione’s departure for Texas A&M. Alabama had sought to keep him. In a statement issued during the coaching search, then-athletics director Mal Moore said the university had offered Franchione a contract. Moore said he wanted the coach to finish his career at Alabama.

A Career Built on Program Turnarounds

Franchione was born March 28, 1951, in Girard, Kansas, and graduated from Pittsburg State. His college head-coaching career began at Southwestern College in Kansas in 1981. He later returned to his alma mater. His teams went 53-6 from 1985 through 1989 and won five straight conference titles.

Pittsburg State also credited him with helping guide its move from the NAIA into NCAA Division II. Later, the school inducted him into its athletics hall of fame in 2025. The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association followed with a hall of fame induction this year.

After his first two seasons at what was then Southwest Texas State, Franchione coached New Mexico from 1992 through 1997. The Lobos reached the Insight.com Bowl in his final season, their first bowl appearance since 1961. Future NFL linebacker Brian Urlacher played for Franchione at New Mexico.

At TCU, Franchione took over a program that had finished 1-10 the year before his arrival in 1998. His first Horned Frogs team went 7-5 and defeated USC in the Sun Bowl. In addition, TCU reached bowls in each of his three seasons. The 2000 team went 10-1 before he left for Alabama ahead of its bowl game.

That TCU team featured running back LaDainian Tomlinson. He rushed for 2,158 yards in 2000 and won the Doak Walker Award. Franchione’s defensive coordinator, Gary Patterson, succeeded him as head coach. Patterson led the Horned Frogs for more than two decades.

Final Stops and Legacy

Franchione then coached Texas A&M from 2003 through 2007. His teams went 32-28 and reached three bowl games. His best season there was a nine-win campaign in 2006. He resigned after a victory over rival Texas in 2007. Franchione did not coach the Aggies in the Alamo Bowl.

He later returned to Texas State and helped lead the Bobcats through their move to the Football Bowl Subdivision. The program became bowl eligible in 2013 and again in 2014. Franchione retired after the 2015 season.

Texas State credits him with a 213-135-2 record as a college head coach. His teams won nine conference championships and reached nine bowls. Franchione and his wife, Kim, also established Coach Fran Charities to support children with special needs and other causes.

The Chronicle also reported that Franchione had battled cancer. The disease first struck in 2016, returned in 2021, and recurred this year after a period of remission, the newspaper reported.