Tony Franklin thinks he knows everything. Including how to run a championship program.

His hubris is without limit; Franklin will even tell a national championship coach what he should be doing. According to Franklin, coordinators should be able to speak freely to the press. He told Paul Finebaum he’s an adult and knows how to handle the media.

Where was that common sense when he went off on Nick Saban in print?

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I asked Franklin the other day if he could work for Saban, given the restrictions of being gagged, tied and shackled.

Nope, he said.

“I enjoy my freedom as an American,” Franklin said. “Our forefathers fought for our right to be able to speak freely.”

Someone should tell Franklin the First Amendment doesn’t include the right to run your mouth on your employer’s dime.

When you hold a job, the boss gets to decide what the public is told. And that isn’t an infringement on liberty. It’s business.

Like that quote, Franklin is all hyperbole.

Just look at this comment to USA Today.

“I’ll always be a hired gun if you want to hire me,” he says.

A hired gun with a hired mouth.

But a hired gun is dangerous. You never know where that gun may be pointed.

From the Kentucky Kernel:

Franklin’s affidavit also stated Bassett was not the only official at UK who committed recruiting violations.

The affidavit claims “Violations went on with the implied consent of UK administrators…and, to some extent, with their participation,” referring to Wethington, Ivy, former athletic director C.M. Newton and Sandy Bell, current assistant athletic director for compliance.

Apparently, Kentucky wasn’t paying this hired gun enough. Auburn should be careful, lest the mouth going off at Saban decides to go off on the Plains.

23 thoughts on “Tony Franklin: Know-it-all”

  1. Franklin is bound to be an outstanding head coach someday. I’ll give him that…

    As far as the plainest village in Lee County is concerned, I have a feeling he and Tuberville won’t find themselves on the same page in the forthcoming future.

    It’s obvious who truly ran the program down at Troy State, but I don’t think his dictator-like mentality will cut it down at The Polytechnic Institute of Opelika, Alabama.

  2. The main difference between Tony boy and Fatty Al is in 2004, Fatty was loaded with an experienced and senior led offense going against more inexperienced SEC teams. After the departure of his key players in 2005, his offense fell apart and never managed to pick up the pieces.

    The same will happen to Tony, that is if he ever manages to get his offense off of the ground.

    For Fatty Al’s sake, I only wish Alabama had every player starting that was out injured. Nothing would’ve come as anymore pleasing than ruining the closest they’d ever came to a historically monumental season.

  4. People forget that C.M. was making money off tickets and he wore out his welcome. As far as Troy – it is the Leper Colony for Coaches.
    I really do believe Tony when he says Steve Young or Joe Montana could run his offense. One thing for damn sure – Auburn’s Quarterbacks ain’t got that pedigree by a country mile…..

  5. Yep,,, ol’ Tony loves to talk. And he is not very tactful once his mouth gets in gear.
    Maybe, just maybe the reason Tony was coaching in the wilderness was because he couldnt shut that mouth up in kentucky.(i.e. he told on everyone he could and then he wrote a book it.)

    Then Tony went on to use that mouth as a salesman, and wouldnt you know it! He was so sucessful he had to declare bankruptcy. That is just a smidgeon of the “Legend” of Tony Franklin’s mouth.
    Tony Franklin is a crumb of a man. And when he leaves the plains alot of people will be happy to see the back of him.

  6. I agree that I would like to hear more from the coordinators on Saban’s staff, for selfish reasons. I just thought that Franklin taking a shot at Saban was uncalled for. To me it would have been one thing if a head coach, like Tubbs had said something. It would obviously still be obnoxious, but at least he would have earned the right to say something.

  7. You have a good point there Kenny. Tony Franklin came to town amidst all the fan fare but still hasnt proven anything.
    I am not impressed that his offense went 8-4 the last 2 years. And I am not impressed with the fact that Kentucky went 2-9 the year that Franklin was the Offensive coordinator. I am not impressed by the fact that he has a record of 0-12 against SEC teams. I am not impressed by his apparent lack of hygeine (combs and brushes are $1 at the dollar tree Tony)
    He talks a big game. I havent seen any proof that he can win one though.

  8. I am Coach Tony Franklin, and how dare ya’ll besmirch my fine character. Im Tony Franklin Damnit!
    The Tony Franklin! King Guru of the “spread” offense……”Mr. Excitement”…..”THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND”! Feared by men and loved by the laides. “The Total Package”….. “The main event”…..”Mr. Charisma”!!! HOYEAH!
    Tony Franklin is fired up now!

    TMC1 CAN KISS MY A**! CAPSTONE CAN STAND IN LINE! SHANE, I HATE YOU! KENNY…. well…. we will just let the writers of South Park deal with you….
    Yall think yall special dont you! But you aint Tony Franklin! I’ve got my own web site damnit! I will single-handedly turn around the Auburn football fortunes!
    If CTT dont like it I will turn him in for NCAA infractions, SUE HIM, and WRITE a book about the whole damn thing! I AM TONY FRANKLIN!!! I am Godzilla and the football landscape is Tokyo……..Damnit!…….Double Damnit!
    Yall will rue the day yall crossed Tony Franklin. Coz Iam suing the lot of you for $20 gazillion Dollars, thats right I said “$20 gazillion dollars!” AND I WILL WRITE A BOOK ABOUT IT TOO! I am TONY FRANKLIN!!!!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    And by the way if you purchase “TheTonyFranklinsystem” at CoachTonyFranklin.com.(*guaranteed to score 125 points a game.) I aint throwing in no extras this week! YA’LL AINT GETTING SHIT! AND YALL GOT THE SMARTASSES AT THE CAPSTONE REPORT TO THANK FOR IT!

  9. Direct baited question from Finebum. He responded… He enjoys being able to speak, not everyone wants to work for Saban. Personally I do not care if the Bama coordinators can talk to the media or not. I do like hearing from the Auburn Coordinators.

  12. Tony Franklin uses the same offense that Leech, Mumme, and a lot of other coaches use. Sometimes he rolls the QB a little more. The system tries mix the RB’s in as receivers when there is a perceived talent mismatch in a cover five or cover six situation. It uses a couple of optional routes depending on how the defense covers the RB’s in passing situations. The system is a graveyard for RB’s with the potential to “carry the load” for a team because they never get the opportunity.

    There is nothing new here, and with Burns running the offense I find it highly unlikely that Aubuen is going to look anything like Texas Tech.

    It’s hilarious that Franklin is touting his “system” as something new and innovative, considering that he ripped it off. SEC coaches learned to defend against this approach a decade ago, so anyone thinking tha Franklin is going to outsmart SEC defensive coordinators is going to be in for a surprise.

  13. Shane the Booger,

    The same guy who averaged nearly 200 more yards than a national championship caliber UGA team, against Georgia Tech (571 to be exact). The same guy who also averaged 420 yards per game and 33 points per game, last season, which was a significant increase compared to the season prior (before he was hired).

    Which state is your backwoods college located in again?

    West Virginia is awaiting you! You guys should take notes on what a real spread offense can do, after they annihilate Tech.

  14. Cappy,

    I hate to be the one to break it to you, but SABAN IS A HIRED GUN.

    Better go lie down before you lose consciousness.

  15. Let me get this sraight….Finebaum specifically asked Franklin if he could work under the conditions of being “gagged, tied, and shackled”, and you accuse Franklin of “hubris” and telling Saban what he should be doing by answering no? Umm, it was Finebaum who made the gagged and shackled comment, not Franklin.

    Your assertion that “When you hold a job, the boss gets to decide what the public is told” is B.S. When you hold a job with SABAN, the boss gets to decide what the public is told. There are plenty of head coaches who give their assts free reign to speak with the public, including Tubs.

    Really enjoying all of the Aubophobia posts that have been put up today. Your obsession with all things Auburn is getting more than a little weird, Cap. This is supposed to be a Bama site.

  16. @Julio

    Just having a little bit of fun. It is NICE for a change that Auburn is having the bad PR week. It is usually Alabama that gets the bad PR by doing stupid things…Dubose, Price, etc.

    It’s all minor stuff for Auburn, which makes it fun. It isn’t that big of a deal that Franklin doesn’t like Saban…or that Tommy likes to have his picture taken. 🙂

  17. Tony won’t find himself head coaching at any other school, other than API. He’ll replace Tubby once the world realizes he truly never underwent any major transformations, other than leading his delusional backwoods fan base into believing he singlehandedly took control of the state simply because he was the better coach. When he evolves back into his original form, he’ll retire just as that overrated, snuff spitting hillbilly Pat Dye done.

  18. Big bad tony franklin is a high scool coach. other than the powerhouse kentucky and troy programs where has he ever coached. We Bama fans are shakin in our boots over big bad tony franklin…NOT

  19. Ok, first off. War Eagle.

    Bama fans are just haters and are pissed off that they have a 4 millions dollar coach with a losing record to Tommy T…oh yeah hows that monroe loss taste? fools. get a good team THEN start talking trash. WE have the the momentum now so just sit back and enjoy the show.

  20. Face it fanboys, all Tony Franklin is gonna do is put about 500 yards and 35 points on the Tide. No need to worry, because you done got you a goodun with that boy from California runnin the offense. Ol Julio will probably catch at least 15 passes for 400 yards. If all else fails, S the Coach will use his superior logic to outwit and outsmart ol Tubby and have him voted off the island. One thing is for sure, the Tide is running low in the excuse department. For years we heard probation, then it was coaches, but now you got a coach and you got them galdarn recruits that can beat anybody… with one hand tied behind their back… Come on Bama, its time to shut up and play ball, and be sure, ol Aubie is gonna play ball all 60 minutes. If you win , you win. Just don’t cry when ol Tony runs the score up on you…

  21. Cap

    Seriously, did you really write this junk? I took a break from here for a couple days in hopes that I would be pleasantly surprised upon my return…so far all I have read is the same anti-Auburn bs, but I’ll keep searching in hopes that I find THE REAL NEWS on here:)

    BTW, is it common practice for hc’s to not allow their assts to talk to the media?

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