Dennis Franchione, former Alabama football coach, dead at 75 | Report
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Former Alabama football coach Dennis Franchione has died, the Star-Telegram reports. He was 75.
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Per the Star-Telegram, Franchione overcame kidney cancer in 2016 and underwent more cancer treatment before it went into remission in 2021. The cancer returned in 2026 and he was moved to hospice care in October.
Franchione was Alabama's coach in 2001 and 2002. He led the Crimson Tide to seven wins in 2001, including a season-ending Independence Bowl win against Iowa State, the program's first bowl win in five years.
Franchione led Alabama to 10 wins in 2002, a team that was ineligible for the postseason due to NCAA violations during the Mike DuBose era.
Franchione left for Texas A&M two years into a seven-year contract at Alabama. Rumors of a 10-year contract extension at Alabama swirled as Franchione resigned his post from Alabama Dec. 2, 2002 and left without telling his players in person that he was taking the A&M job.
“I botched that up big-time,” Franchione told The Tuscaloosa News in 2010. “I wish I could have done it different. You only get one chance to do something. You don’t get mulligans.”
Franchione coached at Texas A&M from 2003-07, winning 32 of 60 games including two losses in the 2004 Cotton Bowl and the 2006 Holiday Bowl. He resigned after a seven-win season with the Aggies in 2007.
Franchione also coached at TCU from 1998-2000, leading the Horned Frogs to 25 wins in 25 games before taking over DuBose at Alabama.
Franchione also coached at Southwestern, Pittsburg State, New Mexico and two stints at Texas State, in 1990-91 and 2011-15 where he finished his coaching career.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Dennis Franchione, former Alabama football coach, dead at 75 | Report