Dennis Franchione
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dennis Franchione | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Born | March 28, 1951 | |
| Place of birth | Girard, KS | |
| Career highlights | ||
| Overall | 187-101-2 | |
| Bowls | 4-3 | |
| Coaching stats | ||
| College Football DataWarehouse | ||
| Championships | ||
| Western Athletic Conference Champion (1997, 1999, 2000) Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champion (Div. II) (1989) Central States Intercollegiate Conference Champion (NAIA) (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988) Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Champion (1982) |
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| Awards | ||
| NAIA Coach of the Year (1986, 1987) AFCA Regional Coach of the Year (1989, 1990) |
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| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||
| 1973–1974 1975 1976–1977 1978–1980 1981–1982 1983–1984 1985–1989 1990–1991 1992–1997 1998–2000 2001–2002 2003–2007 |
Miller HS Mulvane HS (assist.) Peabody HS Kansas State (assist.) Southwestern Tennessee Tech (OC) Pittsburg State SW Texas State New Mexico TCU Alabama Texas A&M |
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Dennis Wayne Franchione (born March 28, 1951 in Girard, Kansas), commonly known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach who was most recently the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team in College Station, Texas. In his 23 seasons as head coach, Franchione has won eight conference championships and one divisional crown.
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[edit] Personal life
Franchione received his Bachelor of Arts in 1973 from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. Franchione and his wife, the former Kim Kraus, began dating after he took her on a tour of his alma mater, Pittsburg State University, at the request of her father. They married shortly after, in 1977. The couple have two daughters, Elizabeth Ann and Ashley Renee. Franchione also has a son, Brad, who is the head football coach at Blinn College, from a previous marriage. Brad and his wife, Rebecca, have two children.
[edit] Coaching career
[edit] Early career
After graduating from Pittsburg State, Franchione served as the head football coach at Miller High School in Miller, Missouri from 1973–74. He then served as an assistant coach at Mulvane High School in Mulvane, Kansas in 1975. From 1976–77, he served as the head coach at Peabody High School in Peabody, Kansas. In 1978, Franchione was hired to be an assistant coach at Kansas State University, a position he would hold until he was hired to be the head coach at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas in 1981. During his two years at Southwestern, he led the team to a 14-4-2 record, a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title, and a Sunflower Bowl win. His 9 wins in 1982 tied the school record and was Southwestern's most since 1967.[1]
After two seasons as offensive coordinator at Tennessee Tech in 1983 and 1984, Franchione was hired as the head coach at his alma mater, Pittsburg State University. During his five seasons with the Gorillas, he led the team to a 53-6-0 record, 37-1-0 in conference, won five conference titles, and was named NAIA National Coach of the Year twice. He tied the school record for victories in a single season three times before breaking it with the 12 victories of his 1989 team.[2] Currently, Pittsburg State is the only team that Franchione has led to three consecutive winning seasons.[3] In 1990, he joined Texas State University, where he spent two years and compiled a 13-9 record.
[edit] New Mexico
In 1992, Franchione took his first head coaching job in Division I-A at the University of New Mexico. In his six seasons at New Mexico, he led the Lobos to a 33–36 record, including a 9-4 mark in 1997, which earned the Lobos a WAC Mountain Division Championship and an invitation to play in the Insight.com Bowl, their first bowl berth since 1961.[4] During the 1996 and 1997 seasons, his roster included current NFL Pro Bowler Brian Urlacher.
[edit] TCU
In 1998, Franchione became the head coach at TCU and promptly turned their fortunes around, going from 1-10 the year before to 7-5 and a berth in the Sun Bowl, where the Horned Frogs defeated Southern California and set the record for least rushing yards allowed in a bowl game. He again led the Horned Frogs to a bowl game in 1999 on the wings of junior tailback LaDainian Tomlinson, who led the nation in rushing. Going into the 2000 season, the Frogs were being touted as a possible BCS Bowl contender before a disappointing loss to San Jose State. Despite the loss, the Frogs finished the season 10-1, were co-champions of the Western Athletic Conference, and accepted a bid to the Mobile Alabama Bowl. Before the scheduled bowl game, Franchione accepted a head coaching offer by the University of Alabama. Franchione was voted by TCU players to lead the team in the bowl game, which Franchione's defensive coordinator and newly-named head coach Gary Patterson supported; however, after some controversy at the Heisman Trophy ceremony, TCU Athletic Director Eric Hyman reversed the vote, allowing Patterson to coach the bowl game.[5][6] During Franchione's three years at TCU, he led the Horned Frogs to their first bowl victory since 1939, their first top 25 finish since 1959, and held the highest winning percentage among TCU coaches since Francis Schmidt (1929–1933).[7][8] In LaDainian Tomlinson's senior season in 2000, he led the NCAA for the second time with 2,158 yards and 22 touchdowns while piling on 354 yards receiving. He won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's best running back, and was a finalist for the Heisman, but came in fourth. He completed his college career with 5,263 rushing yards, ranking sixth in NCAA Division I history.[9]
[edit] Alabama
Franchione became the head coach at the University of Alabama in 2001 and led the team, which had posted a 3-8 record the prior season, to a 7-5 record in 2001 and a 10-3 record in 2002. The 2001 team won the Independence Bowl, which became Alabama's first bowl win after five seasons. The 2002 team finished with a 6-2 conference record, placing first in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference. However, due to NCAA sanctions resulting from violations of the previous Alabama head coach, Mike DuBose, the 2002 team was ineligible for postseason games, including the SEC Championship Game. The turnaround success Franchione made prompted Alabama officials to offer Franchione a 10-year contract extension worth $15 million. Franchione, however, did not sign the offer. Following Alabama's victory over the University of Hawaii and the dismissal of Texas A&M head coach R. C. Slocum, Franchione resigned at Alabama and was named head coach at Texas A&M after publicly stating that he would not leave. His decision was influenced by the NCAA sanctions placed on Alabama, which included a two-year bowl ban, the loss of 21 scholarships over three years, and five years probation. Franchione did not return to Alabama after interviewing for the job, instead informing his players of his decision to accept the job at Texas A&M via video teleconference.[10]
[edit] Texas A&M
[edit] 2003–2006 seasons
Upon being hired by Texas A&M, Franchione brought the majority of his coaching staff with him to College Station for the 2003 season. Strength and Conditioning Coach Ben Pollard declined an offer to go to College Station and elected to remain in Tuscaloosa. Franchione signed a contract that was set to pay him a yearly salary of $1.7 million through 2010.[11] The Aggies finished the 2003 season with a 4–8 record, including a nationally televised 77–0 loss to Oklahoma, the worst loss in A&M's history. The season also marked the first losing season for the Aggies after 21 years.[12]
In the 2004 season, Franchione attempted the rebuilding process as the team improved to a 7–5 record, and a 5–3 record in conference play, including a 35–34 overtime loss to unranked Baylor at Waco, ending a 13-game winning streak the Aggies had with Baylor. The Aggies ended up advancing to the Cotton Bowl to play #17 Tennessee in the postseason, but lost 38-7. Following the bowl game, A&M officials extended Franchione's contract through 2012 and raised his salary to $2 million.[11] In June 2005, prior to the 2005 season, Franchione donated $1 million to the A&M athletic department. The donation was used to build an indoor practice facility, which is now located adjacent to Kyle Field.
In the 2005 season, Franchione's Aggies, who were ranked 17th in the preseason AP Poll, regressed to a 5–6 record. The 2005 Aggie defense ranked 107th nationally (out of 119 Division I NCAA teams) and allowed 443.8 yards per game. This prompted Franchione to dismiss defensive coordinator Carl Torbush. Franchione then hired former Western Michigan head coach Gary Darnell to replace Torbush.[13]
In the 2006 season, the Aggies again rebounded under Franchione, posting a 9–3 regular season record that included Franchione's first win over rival Texas. The 9–3 record also marked the most wins for A&M since 1998. However, in that season's Oklahoma game, which ESPN's College GameDay visited, Franchione was criticized by fans for making a field goal call with 3:28 left in the game. The 18th-ranked Sooners ended up defeating the 21st-ranked Aggies 17–16.[11] In the postseason, the Aggies faced 20th-ranked California in the Holiday Bowl and lost 45-10.
[edit] 2007 season
[edit] Newsletter controversy
On September 27, 2007, Franchione discontinued selling a secret email newsletter to athletic boosters who paid US$ 1,200 annually for team information that Franchione has refused to release to the public. The newsletter, called "VIP Connection", had been written by Franchione's personal assistant, Mike McKenzie, and included, but was not limited to, specific injury reports, recruitment information, and Franchione's critical assessments of players. Started in the fall of 2004, the newsletter attracted 27 recipients, 6 of whom received the newsletter for free. 20 of the recipients have been disclosed.[14] The boosters were asked to sign a confidentiality statement to assure the information in the newsletter would not be used for gambling. Though Franchione and McKenzie denied gaining profit from the newsletter, Franchione stated that proceeds went to the company that managed his now-defunct website, coachfran.com. The newsletter was discovered by athletic director Bill Byrne after it was presented to him by a San Antonio Express-News reporter, who had received it through a third-party source. Byrne immediately instructed Franchione to discontinue the newsletter, at which time Franchione complied.[15][16][17][18][19] The last issue of the newsletter, dated September 13, 2007, revealed that Franchione earned a net profit of $37,806.32 from the newsletter. In a press conference the following Tuesday, October 2, Franchione apologized in front of A&M football players and expressed his love for the job and the university, and his desire to "elevate the program to its highest level". A&M players also expressed their support for Franchione as a coach.[20] Shortly after, an investigation had been launched to look into the matter, conducted by Bill Byrne and A&M's NCAA compliance officer, David Batson. The investigation concluded that Franchione violated two NCAA rules and one of the Big 12's "Principals and Standards of Sportsmanship".[21] These findings were in turn reported to the NCAA.[22] The NCAA requires coaches to submit reports that include "athletically related income and benefits from sources outside of the institution", which is also required by Franchione's contract.[23]
On Thursday, October 11, 2007 Texas A&M officials issued a "letter of admonishment" and ordered that the website CoachFran.com be shut down. Additionally, Franchione was instructed to no longer employ "any staff members that could be construed as representing Texas A&M or providing information or reports relative to his position as head coach at Texas A&M". Consequently, the university fired the writer of the newsletter, Mike McKenzie. Byrne has been quoted as saying "The Aggies are embarrassed right now. This has been a very unfortunate incident we do not want to experience again." Byrne also stated that the incident would be included in Franchione's performance evaluation at the end of the season.[24][25]
[edit] Resignation
After the Aggies' 17–34 loss at Miami in September 2007, Franchione's coaching abilities were brought into question.[26][27][28][29][30][31][32] A questionable football season marred by extensive defeats combined with the newsletter scandal left the administration little choice. On November 5, 2007, several news sources announced that Franchione and Texas A&M were in the process of settling an agreement that would end Franchione's tenure as head coach at the end of the 2007 football season.[citation needed] Texas A&M officials stated the reports were false rumors and that Franchione's performance was to be reviewed at the end of the season.[33] In a press conference the following day, Franchione refused to answer questions regarding his future at A&M.[34]
After Franchione led the Aggies to a 38–30 victory over the 13th-ranked Texas Longhorns, he announced his resignation in the post-game press conference. In the press conference, after he discussed the game, he read out loud a farewell letter that he had prepared beforehand. His last words were "Thank you, and gig 'em." Franchione immediately left the press conference as A&M athletic director Bill Byrne started to speak, with friends and family members following him.[35][36] The following day, Byrne named defensive coordinator Gary Darnell as interim head coach. Darnell led the Aggies to a 24-17 defeat at the hands of Penn State in the Alamo Bowl on December 29, 2007.[37] On November 26, 2007, three days after Franchione resigned, former Green Bay Packers head coach, and Houston Texans' offensive coordinator Mike Sherman was announced as the new head football coach.[38] On December 7, 2007, the Texas A&M Board of Regents approved a reduced buyout of $4.4 million for Franchione.[39]
[edit] Overall performance
During his five-season tenure at A&M, Franchione had not produced a team that finished higher than third in the Big 12 South. Though he was able to bring recruiting classes that ranked among the top 13 nationally from 2003–05,[40], none of his teams ranked in the postseason AP or Coaches national polls.[41] He also compiled a 4–16 record against ranked teams, and a 4–14 record against Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas Tech.[12] Additionally, he compiled a 19–21 Big 12 record.[35]
[edit] Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern College Moundbuilders (NAIA) (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) (1981 – 1982) | |||||||||
| 1981 | Southwestern College | 5–2–2 | 5–2–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 1982 | Southwestern College | 9–2–0 | 8–1–0 | 1st | W Sunflower | ||||
| Southwestern College (NAIA): | 14–4–2 | 13–3–2 | |||||||
| Pittsburg State Gorillas (NAIA) (Central States Intercollegiate Conference) (1985 – 1988) | |||||||||
| 1985 | Pittsburg State | 8–2 | 6–1 | 1st | Quarterfinals NAIA Playoffs | ||||
| 1986 | Pittsburg State | 11–1 | 7–0 | 1st | Semifinals NAIA Playoffs | ||||
| 1987 | Pittsburg State | 11–1 | 7–0 | 1st | Semifinals NAIA Playoffs | ||||
| 1988 | Pittsburg State | 11–1 | 7–0 | 1st | Semifinals NAIA Playoffs | ||||
| Pittsburg State (NAIA): | 41–5 | 27–1 | |||||||
| Pittsburg State Gorillas (Div. II) (Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1989 – 1989) | |||||||||
| 1989 | Pittsburg State | 12–1 | 10–0 | 1st | Quarterfinals DII playoffs | ||||
| Pittsburg State (DII): | 12–1 | 10–0 | |||||||
| Southwest Texas State Bobcats (Div. I-AA) (Southland Conference) (1990 – 1991) | |||||||||
| 1990 | Southwest Texas State | 6–5 | 2–3 | 3rd | |||||
| 1991 | Southwest Texas State | 7–4 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
| Southwest Texas State (Div. I-AA): | 13–9 | 6–6 | |||||||
| New Mexico Lobos (Western Athletic Conference) (1992 – 1997) | |||||||||
| 1992 | New Mexico | 3–8 | 2–6 | 9th | |||||
| 1993 | New Mexico | 6–5 | 4–4 | T–6th | |||||
| 1994 | New Mexico | 5–7 | 4–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1995 | New Mexico | 4–7 | 2–6 | T–7th | |||||
| 1996 | New Mexico | 6–5 | 3–5 | T–7th (Pacific) | |||||
| 1997 | New Mexico | 9–4 | 6–2 | 1st (Pacific) | L Insight.com | ||||
| New Mexico: | 33–36 | 21–27 | |||||||
| TCU Horned Frogs (Western Athletic Conference) (1998 – 2000) | |||||||||
| 1998 | TCU | 7–5 | 4–4 | 5th | W Sun | ||||
| 1999 | TCU | 8–4 | 5–2 | T–1st | W Mobile Alabama | ||||
| 2000 | TCU | 10–1 | 7–1 | T–1st | L Mobile Alabama Bowl coached by Gary Patterson |
15 (pre-bowl) 18 (final) |
13 (pre-bowl) 21 (final) |
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| TCU: | 25–10 | 16–7 | |||||||
| Alabama Crimson Tide (Southeastern Conference) (2001 – 2002) | |||||||||
| 2001 | Alabama | 7–5 | 4–4 | T–3rd (West) | W Independence | ||||
| 2002 | Alabama | 10–3 | 6–2 | 1st (West) | Ineligible | 11 | |||
| Alabama: | 17–8 | 10–6 | |||||||
| Texas A&M Aggies (Big 12 Conference) (2003 – 2007) | |||||||||
| 2003 | Texas A&M | 4–8 | 2–6 | 5th (South) | |||||
| 2004 | Texas A&M | 7–5 | 5–3 | T–3rd (South) | L 38–7 Cotton | ||||
| 2005 | Texas A&M | 5–6 | 3–5 | 4th (South) | |||||
| 2006 | Texas A&M | 9–4 | 5–3 | 3rd (South) | L 45–10 Holiday | ||||
| 2007 | Texas A&M | 7–5 | 4–4 | T–4th (South) | L 24–17 Alamo Bowl coached by Gary Darnell |
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| Texas A&M: | 32–28 | 19–21 |
Source: [42] |
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| Total: | 187–101–2 (107–81 Div. I) |
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| National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title | |||||||||
| #Rankings from final Coaches Poll of the season. °Rankings from final AP Poll of the season. |
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[edit] References
- ^ Team Records. Southwestern College Moundbuilders. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
- ^ Pitt State Football Records. Pittsburg State Gorillas. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
- ^ Campbell, Steve. "There's no need to sugarcoat it anymore: Franchione must go", Houston Chronicle, 2007-10-28. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ New Mexico Bowl History. College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved on 2007-11-06.
- ^ CNNSI.com - 2000 NCAA Football Bowls - Mobile - TCU's Patterson set for head coaching debut - Tuesday December 19, 2000 02:51 PM
- ^ CNNSI.com - 2000 Heisman Trophy Presentation - Closer Look: Tomlinson distraught by voting - Sunday December 10, 2000 04:11 PM
- ^ Texas Christian in the Polls. College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
- ^ TCU bowl history. ESPN.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
- ^ Just falling short of Zach Green of Bhs who rushed for 5,269 yards in his career. TCU's Tomlinson finishes distant fourth, feels like 'fluke' from Sports Illustrated, 9 December, 2000
- ^ "Texas A&M coach ready to end moving days", Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, 2004-07-28. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
- ^ a b c Eagle Staff. "Coach Fran timeline at Texas A&M", Bryan-College Station Eagle, 2007-11-24. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
- ^ a b Zwerneman, Brent. "Big 12 Football: Where did Fran fail?", San Antonio Express-News, 2007-11-08. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
- ^ Davis, Brian. "A&M starts pumping up Darnell", Dallas Morning News, 2005-12-16. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
- ^ "College Football: List of A&M's VIP Connections recipients", San Antonio Express-News, 2007-10-12. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
- ^ Zwerneman, Brent. "Big 12 Football: Franchione stops selling A&M info", San Antonio Express-News, 2007-09-27. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
- ^ Associated Press. "Texas A&M coach Franchione sold insider knowledge to boosters in newsletter", USA Today, 2007-09-28. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
- ^ Wetzel, Dan. "Paper trail", Yahoo! Sports, 2007-09-28. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
- ^ Harris, Terrance. "Franchione stops selling inside info to big boosters", Houston Chronicle, 2007-09-28. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
- ^ Davis, Bryan. "A&M coach sold insider info to boosters", Dallas Morning News, 2007-09-28. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
- ^ Davis, Bryan. "Franchione tells players newsletter a mistake", Dallas Morning News, 2007-09-30. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
- ^ Miller, John. "A&M admonishes Franchione", Forth Worth Star-Telegram, 2007-11-06. Retrieved on 2007-10-12.
- ^ Davis, Brian. "A&M forwards 'VIP' report to NCAA", Dallas Morning News, 2007-11-15. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
- ^ "Source says Texas A&M, Franchione discussing settlement", ESPN, 2007-11-05. Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
- ^ Associated Press. "A&M coach admonished for producing secretive newsletter", ESPN.com, 2007-10-05. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
- ^ Miller, John. "A&M reprimands Franchione, shuts down his Web site", Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2007-10-11. Retrieved on 2007-10-12.
- ^ Doyel, Gregg. "Start spreading the newsletter: Pink slip for Franchione, now", CBS Sports, 2007-09-30. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
- ^ Cessna, Robert. "Cessna: Talk around town all about Franchione", Bryan-College Station Eagle, 2007-10-01. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ Harris, Terrance. "Franchione fends off negative vibes", Houston Chronicle, 2007-09-27. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
- ^ Riggs, Randy. "Dark clouds in Aggieland", Austin American-Statesman, 2007-09-27. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
- ^ Burch, Jimmy. "Franchione safe for now, but not forever", Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2007-09-24. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
- ^ Taylor, Jean-Jacques. "Aggies trip on big stage again", Dallas Morning News, 2007-09-21. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
- ^ Dienhart, Tom. "Franchione's breach of trust won't be forgiven", Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
- ^ Davis, Bryan. "Texas A&M regent denies Franchione buyout reports", Dallas Morning News, 2007-11-05. Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
- ^ "Franchione dodges questions about his future at Texas A&M", The Associated Press, USA Today, 2007-11-06. Retrieved on 2007-11-06.
- ^ a b Davis, Brian. "Out with a bang: Franchione resigns after A&M upsets UT", Dallas Morning News, 2007-11-24. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
- ^ Barron, David. "Franchione resigns as Texas A&M head coach", Houston Chronicle, 2007-11-24. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
- ^ Texas A&M Athletics (2007-11-24). "Darnell Named Interim Head Football Coach". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
- ^ Duncan, Chris. "Texas A&M hires Sherman to replace Franchione", Associated Press, Houston Chronicle, 2007-11-26. Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
- ^ Zwerneman, Brent. "College Football: A&M approves $4.4 million buyout of ex-coach", San Antonio Express-News, 2007-12-07. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
- ^ 2003 Team Ranking. Rivals.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
- ^ Dodd, Dennis. "Peter principle: Franchione has been working over his head", CBS Sports, 2007-11-05. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
- ^ "The Dennis Franchione file", The Kansas City Star, 2008-01-26. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
[edit] External links
- A&M's letter of admonishment to Coach Franchione
- A&M's NCAA report about newsletter
- Coach Fran Charities
| Preceded by John O'Hara |
Texas State Head Football Coach 1990–1991 |
Succeeded by Jim Bob Helduser |
| Preceded by Mike Sheppard |
New Mexico Head Football Coach 1992–1997 |
Succeeded by Rocky Long |
| Preceded by Pat Sullivan |
Texas Christian University Head Football Coach 1998–2000 |
Succeeded by Gary Patterson |
| Preceded by Mike DuBose |
University of Alabama Head Football Coach 2001–2002 |
Succeeded by Mike Price |
| Preceded by R. C. Slocum |
Texas A&M University Head Football Coach 2003–2007 |
Succeeded by Mike Sherman |
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