The coach with a state title and more than 200 career victories greeted Bellefonte’s new boss at a 2010 Central Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association gathering.
John Franco’s unsolicited gesture impressed Duffy Besch. “He was one of the first to congratulate me and said, ‘If there’s something I can do for you, feel free to call or email me,’” Besch said. “I will always remember that.”
On the field, Franco wasn’t as congenial. His Tyrone teams thumped Bellefonte by a combined 93-8 the past two seasons, but Besch wasn’t the lone Centre County and Mountain League coach to suffer against the Golden Eagles.
Franco’s tenure at the Class AA power ended Monday with his approval as head coach at Class AAAA Altoona. Franco returns to Altoona, where he coached from 1986-93.
Franco went 61-3 against the Mountain League’s four Centre County teams — Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte, Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola — in 18 years at Tyrone. Franco led Tyrone to a 190-38 record, 1999 PIAA Class AA title and a runner-up PIAA finish last season. Tyrone is the only District 6 school to win a state football title.
Centre County coaches lauded Franco for his football savvy and ability to produce regular winners.
“It was always a challenge matching wits with Coach Franco,” Penns Valley’s Martin Tobias said. “He did an outstanding job preparing his kids and they played with class. They were always as prepared as a team could be. It was a great thrill coaching against him.”
Tyrone and Altoona are only separated by 17 miles, but the move sends Franco into a different high school football realm.
The Mountain Lions compete in the WPIAL’s Class AAAA Section 3 with Connellsville, Gateway, Greater Latrobe, Hempfield, Kiski Area, McKeesport, Norwin and Penn-Trafford. Altoona has struggled since joining the WPIAL, and the Mountain Lions went 5-23 in three seasons under Tom Palfey. Altoona hasn’t met State College — Centre County’s only Class AAAA team — since 2009.
“I think it’s a good move for Coach Franco,” Besch said. “He accomplished a heck of a lot at Tyrone. From that standpoint, I’m sure he’s looking at it as a new challenge. He’s got a lot of work ahead of him because the WPIAL is a tough and very competitive league. But it’s a good choice for Altoona.”
Franco went 40-45-2 in his first eight seasons at Altoona. He was removed in 1993 by a school board vote. Franco kept his teaching job in the Altoona Area School District while coaching at Tyrone.
“I think it’s something where he probably feels he has some unfinished business,” Philipsburg-Osceola coach Jeff Vroman said. “I wish him well and hope to see him be successful. He’s a hard worker. If they aren’t successful, it won’t be because of a lack of effort or knowledge of the game.”
Franco’s final Tyrone team was one of his best. The Golden Eagles went 13-2, won District 6 and PIAA Western Regional titles and lost to Lancaster Catholic 17-7 in the state final. Tyrone shut out BEA, Bellefonte, Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola in 2011.
P-O was the last county team to defeat a Franco-led Tyrone team. The Mounties edged the Golden Eagles 7-6 in 2004. P-O and BEA beat Tyrone in 1994, Franco’s first season as the school’s head coach.
Vroman, the only current county coach to defeat Franco, said he doesn’t expect Tyrone to fade as long as the school makes a good hire.
“Tyrone has athletes each and every year,” Vroman said. “I don’t see that changing. You can’t put anybody in there and be successful. But the kids are competitors. They know how to win. You look at guys who take over programs and they are either on the downside or rebuilding. This is not the case. It’s a matter of sustaining it.”
Tyrone is the second Mountain League school to lose a veteran coach in the past week. Huntingdon’s Jim Zauzig announced his retirement last Monday. Zauzig went 113-55 in 15 seasons.
“Jim Zauzig and John Franco brought a lot of credibility to the conference,” Vroman said. “Losing those two guys doesn’t help the league because of the credibility they brought. They are great teachers and great mentors.”
The league is also losing two teams. Central Mountain and Juniata are leaving after this school year, giving the league a one-division eight-team format in 2012.
“The landscape of our league is definitely changing,” Besch said. “It’s definitely been an interesting few weeks losing Coach Franco and Coach Zauzig. But I’m sure the football will be every bit as competitive. The league is going to kind of have a new start with some new faces.”
Notes: Philipsburg-Osceola lineman Kyle Lanich (Edinboro) and kicker Alex Boumerhi (Lock Haven) are signing national letters of intent with Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference schools today. The duo helped P-O finish 9-3 and reach the District 6 Class AA semifinals as seniors.
Guy Cipriano can be reached at 231-4643.
