Dennis Franchione, whose work helped turn TCU into a national presence, died Tuesday at 75 after cancer returned earlier this year, according to family members who spoke to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Mac Engel.
TCU confirmed his death Tuesday morning and said in a statement, “It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of former TCU Head Coach Dennis Franchione and offer our deepest condolences to Coach Franchione’s family,”
Franchione’s path through college football ran across several programs, but his most visible rebuild came in Fort Worth. He took over a TCU team that had won one game in 1997 and, after six seasons as New Mexico’s head coach, guided the Horned Frogs to 25 wins from 1998 to 2000.
That surge included a 6-5 regular season and the program’s first bowl win since 1957. In 2000, TCU finished 10-2 behind a huge season from future NFL star LaDainian Tomlinson, and the school landed inside the AP Top 25 for the first time in 41 years.
TCU athletic director Mike Buddie paid tribute to the coach and the impact he had on the program’s direction. “TCU mourns alongside the Franchione family at the passing of ‘Coach Fran,'” Buddie said.
“Our fortunes as a department would not be what they are today without the efforts of Coach Franchione, his staff, and players. Beyond his talent as a football coach, he was a beloved father, mentor, and friend to so many.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kim, and the entire Franchione family.”
Sonny Dykes also remembered Franchione, joining the outpouring from the TCU side. “Our program’s thoughts and prayers are with the Franchione family as well as all those whose lives he impacted,” Dykes said.
“Coach was a true gentleman who loved his time at TCU and set the program on the path to all of the great success that has followed. College football is in a better place for having Dennis Franchione’s influence on it, and today is a great loss to all who knew him.”
Franchione was diagnosed with a tumor in his kidney in 2016 and had been in full remission after another diagnosis in 2021. Family members said the cancer returned earlier this year.
His coaching career also included two seasons at Alabama, a 32-28 run at Texas A&M, and a final stop at Texas State. Over 30 seasons, he compiled a 213-135-2 record.
Alabama also released a statement remembering him. “Remembering Coach Dennis Franchione and the memories he gave Alabama Football,” the program wrote.
“Rest in peace, Coach Fran. Forever part of the Crimson Tide story.”
In Other News...
BYU Just Picked Up A Backfield Concern TCU Fans Will Notice
BYUs backfield took a hit this week, and it is the kind of development TCU fans will file away when looking ahead on the schedule. Running back LJ Martin is expected to miss four to six weeks because of a lower-body injury, according to ESPNs Pete Thamel, and that leaves the Cougars without one of their most reliable contributors as they move deeper into the season.
For BYU, the timing matters because Martins absence will ripple through several upcoming games and force the staff to reshuffle touches in a hurry. Freshman Journee Tonga is expected to see a bigger workload during Martins recovery, which adds another layer of uncertainty to a position group TCU will be watching closely if the teams meet with the Cougars still adjusting on offense. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Women Already Have A Big 12 Doubt To Answer
TCU womens basketball enters the 2026-27 season with a strong bit of respect already attached to it, even if the leagues coaches stopped short of putting the Horned Frogs at the top. In the Big 12 preseason poll, TCU landed second behind Oklahoma State, a tight result that says plenty about how the league views the Frogs after a strong enough offseason impression to keep them near the front of the conversation.
The individual honors followed the same theme. Center Clara Silva earned a place on the preseason All-Big 12 team, while guard Jessie-May Hall was voted preseason Freshman of the Year, giving TCU a mix of proven talent and fresh buzz before the games even begin. For a team already carrying expectations, the bigger question is no longer whether it belongs in the upper tier, but how quickly it can turn those votes into something more tangible once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
TCUs Bye Week Comes With One Big 12 Result To Watch
A bye week can feel like a reset button, and for TCU it comes at a useful moment after consecutive Big 12 losses. With no game on the schedule, the Horned Frogs get a chance to regroup, sort out what has gone wrong in conference play and watch the rest of the league sort itself out around them before their next Big 12 test.
The weekend still matters in Fort Worth because the standings will keep moving, and the KillerFrogs staff is tracking a slate of conference matchups that could shape the stretch run. Their previews and picks highlight where opinions line up and where they split, making this a timely snapshot of how the league looks while TCU waits to see which result may matter most. [Read more 🡒]