Texas State head football coach Dennis Franchione retires | FOX 7 Austin

Texas State head football coach Dennis Franchione retires

 Five years ago when he made his second stop as Texas State's head football coach Dennis Franchione said that's where he wanted to end his career. Well that time has finally come.

After helping the Bobcats transition from Division I FCS to FBS Coach Fran calls it a career and retired on December 22. 

The 64-year old Franchione has spent the last five of his 30 seasons as a head coach at Texas State.

During his career, Coach Fran has coached at a few big time programs.  He helped turn things around at TCU and then went to Alabama. He followed that up with a stop at Texas A&M before being forced out back in 2007 after beating Texas in his final game in College Station.

Coach Fran took a few years off after that and went into broadcasting before returning to Texas State.

This past year he took some heat from fans who were calling for his job after the Bobcats finished a disappointing 3-and-9.  Even though they'd been bowl eligible in the two previous seasons.

Coach Fran finishes his career with 213 wins, 135 losses and two ties.  He led his teams to nine conference championships and nine bowl games.

Texas State has already begun a national search for a new head football coach.

You can learn more from Texas State’s press release on Coach Fran’s retirement here.