Football
- Title:
- Cornerbacks
- Email:
- carl.franks@siu.edu
- Phone:
- 618-453-7259
- Alma Mater:
- Montana, 1995
Carl Franks has coached the cornerbacks at Southern Illinois since 2016 and has more than 20 years of coaching experience.
In his first season coaching Southern’s corners, Franks tutored a unit that consisted entirely of first-year players. Southern Illinois intercepted 12 passes, the most for the program since 2011. Craig James led the MVFC in passes defended per game and was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer team after the season. After the 2017 season, James signed a free-agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings.
“Coach Franks is the type of person and the type of coach that we were looking for,” Hill said. “He was a great player and coached under Coach Paulson at Montana. He knows the schemes.”
Franks began his coaching career in 1997, working at Montana for current SIU defensive coordinator Kraig Paulson. In the years since, Franks has coached secondary and special teams units at every level of football.
He worked at Utah State from 2000-02 before spending six years as cornerbacks coach at Northern Arizona. There, Franks’ secondary led the conference three times in interceptions and led the nation in picks in 2003. His pupils include Kevin Gerard, who had 19 career interceptions and was a Buck Buchanan Award finalist, and Cyrus Igono, who tied an NCAA record for punt blocks in a season.
Franks coached at Western Illinois from 2009-12, mentoring Patrick Stoudemire, who was an All-American and played in the East-West Shrine game. Franks’ Leatherneck secondary led the MVFC in passing defense in 2010 and ranked second in 2012.
Franks has also spent time in professional football, coaching for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League in 2013 and earning a Coaching Fellowship with the Tennessee Titans in 2003. Franks also spent two seasons at Warhill High School in Williamsburg, Va.
Franks played under Paulson at Montana from 1991-93, earning All-Big Sky honors twice and the team’s Golden Helmet Award for hardest hitter twice, as well. Franks and Paulson teamed up for three conference titles at Montana, two while coaching together.
