ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- Dennis Franchione, who coached the New Mexico Lobos football team for six seasons, leading UNM to a berth in the Western Athletic Conference championship game in 1997, passed away on October 6 in Austin, Texas. He was 75 years old.
UNM Athletics released a statement on Coach Fran's passing. "We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Head Football Coach Dennis Franchione. Coach Fran led us to a WAC title game in 1997, and he recruited Brian Urlacher, among many other great players. Coach Fran often spoke fondly of his time in Albuquerque. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Franchione family during this time."
Coach Franchione came to UNM in 1992 after serving as head coach at Southwestern, Pittsburg State, and Southwest Texas State (later Texas State). He inherited a program that had won nine games over the previous five seasons and equaled that total in two seasons, including a 6-5 mark in 1993, UNM's first winning season in 11 years.
Overall, Franchione was 33-36 in his six seasons, and the 33 wins at the time were the second-most in program history. Currently, that total ranks fourth. His best year was his final in Albuquerque, when he led UNM to a 6-0 start on the way to a 9-4 season. UNM won its division and advanced to the WAC championship game before playing in the 1997 Insight.com Bowl.
A key player on that team was sophomore Brian Urlacher, a Lovington, N.M., native whom Franchione recruited to UNM. Coach Fran won two WAC Coach of the Year awards with the Lobos in 1993 and 1997.
The Girard, Kansas, native left UNM after the 1997 season to coach TCU, going 25-10 in three seasons with three bowl games. From there, he stopped at Alabama (17-8 in two seasons), Texas A&M (32-28 in five seasons), and finally back at Texas State for five seasons. His return to Texas State brought him back to University Stadium for the 2012 game against New Mexico.
Franchione is a 2027 College Football Hall of Fame nominee, one of nine coaches on the list. Overall, in his coaching career, he was 213-135-2 with 14 bowl or playoff appearances in 30 years. He also won six Coach of the Year awards. He is survived by his wife, Kim; daughters, Ashley and Libby; and son, Brad, who was previously the head coach at Blinn College.