BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
When the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles kick off at 5:40 p.m. today, new PSJA North linebackers coach Frank Franz will have an interesting perspective.
As a Texan and former quarterback, Franz is excited to see two Texas quarterbacks (Case Keenum for the Vikings and Nick Foles for the Eagles) facing off for the right to play in the Super Bowl. But, Franz has an even deeper connection to the game. While Franz was playing his college ball at McMurray University in Abilene, he got to know one of the ball boys particularly well.
“Casey was my ball boy — Case now they call him,” Franz said. “Ironically enough, my head coach at McMurray was Steve Keenum. Case is his son. You saw that game that he just won at Minnesota. He was my ball boy in college, so I was rooting for him. It’s exciting to see. I followed him all the way through college. I always tell people, ‘I taught him what not to do.’ He watched me and saw all the mistakes that I made.”
Franz, who was hired earlier this month by PSJA North after spending the last seven seasons as the defensive coordinator at Edinburg North, said he sent a congratulatory text to Steve Keenum after last week’s thrilling 29-24 win by the Vikings over the New Orleans Saints.
Franz played quarterback in college, starting from 1995-97.
After he graduated, he had several different coaching jobs, coaching different positions and learning the intricacies of the game. He spent several years in the college game before taking a high school job at El Paso Coronado.
“I was coaching on the offensive side of the ball,” Franz said. “I was an offensive guy by trade, so I coached quarterbacks and receivers pretty much, and in El Paso, really we coached both sides of the ball. So I coached a little secondary.”
Franz is originally from the Valley, so when the chance to come back was presented, Franz jumped at the offer. He coached quarterbacks at Sharyland High for a year before taking a job with the RGV Dorados of the af2 in 2005.
“I started as a secondary coach with coach Kevin Guy,” Franz said. “Then, when he moved on to the arena league, my offensive coordinator at Edinburg North, Marty Hammond, was the head coach of the Dorados after Guy, and he kept me on staff as defensive coordinator.”
Franz said his job with the Dorados was his first time coaching defense full time, and he liked it so much he hasn’t left that side of the ball since.
PSJA North coach Marcus Kaufmann and former Edinburg North coach Rene Saenz saw the same quality in Franz.
“He gets along with the kids,” Kaufmann said. “I went to a powerlifting meet with him. All of the Edinburg North kids came up to him and gave him a hug or gave him high fives. And then, the kids came over to me and said, ‘Coach, you got a good one’ — from the kids. All of those kids got to know him, and they were attracted to him. That’s a great personality to have.”
Saenz witnessed the same from Franz during the past seven years at Edinburg North.
“The kids went all out for him,” Saenz said. “He’s a players’ coach. They liked his enthusiasm and his fire and his energy. He brought energy every day to practice.”
Energy is what defines the PSJA North program. With a young staff made up of coaches like Kaufmann and defensive coordinator Will Littleton, the Raiders specialize in lively practices and a fun atmosphere.
“He’ll fit in, and we won’t miss a beat with him in there,” Kaufmann said. “We’ll just roll right along and get rolling again. He’ll fit right in. We have been talking to him for about a week and a half now, and it’s like he’s always been here.”
Franz credits some of his coaches for showing him how to connect with players and bring that energy to the team.
“That’s why I do this, because I really find some joy in teaching kids something and not necessarily how to do things, but more how not to do things,” Franz said. “Look, I have made mistakes along the way, but I have also done some good things, and if you want to have success in life, these are some lessons I can teach you. I have always had a good rapport with the kids. I’m not necessarily young, but I’m not crazy old either, so I feel like I have a good rapport with the kids, and I always have. That excites me every day, just going in there and building that relationship with them. I have said it from the beginning, but it’s all about your relationship with those kids.”