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- Title:
- Head Coach
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- Phone:
- 812-888-5744
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- Email:
- tfranklin@vinu.edu
Bio
One of the most accomplished and respected coaches in NJCAA history, Todd Franklin enters his 29th season as a collegiate head coach in 2025–26 and his 16th season leading the Vincennes University (VU) men’s basketball program. With a career record of 747–184, including 417 wins at VU, Franklin has built a legacy defined by excellence, consistency, and national impact.
The 2024–25 season reaffirmed that tradition as Franklin guided the Trailblazers to a 28–5 overall record and a perfect 16–0 mark in NJCAA Region 24 regular season play. VU earned its 38th appearance in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament, posting impressive wins over Three Rivers and Indian Hills before falling in a tightly contested quarterfinal matchup against Panola College. The team was led by standout redshirt-sophomore guard LeBron Thomas (Bishopville, SC), who earned NJCAA 1st-Team All-American honors after averaging over 18 points per game and emerging as one of the most dynamic scorers and leaders in the country.
Franklin’s most iconic season came in 2018–19, when he led VU to a 34–2 record and the NJCAA Division I National Championship—the program’s fourth overall and first since 1972. That year, the Trailblazers reached No. 1 in the national rankings, claimed the District 16 regular season title, and defeated Ranger College (TX) 87–77 in the national title game. Franklin was named NJCAA Coach of the Tournament, Spalding NJCAA Coach of the Year, and NABC NJCAA Coach of the Year.
Under Franklin, VU has remained a perennial national contender. The Trailblazers hold NJCAA Division I records for most national tournament appearances (39) and most national tournament wins (72), including a modern-era record nine consecutive appearances from 2013 to 2021. Since 1950, the program has produced 47 All-Americans, and Franklin currently ranks seventh among active NJCAA men’s basketball coaches in total wins. Franklin’s contributions to the sport were further recognized in 2025 when he received the NJCAA Legacy Award, honoring his sustained success, leadership, and long-term impact on the national junior college basketball landscape.
Before arriving at VU in 2010, Franklin led Southeastern Illinois College for 13 seasons, compiling 330 wins and four national tournament appearances, including a trip to the NJCAA Final Four in 2004. Across his career, Franklin has now coached in 16 NJCAA Division I National Tournaments, with top-four national finishes in 2004, 2013, 2014, and 2018, in addition to the 2019 national title.
Franklin’s influence extends far beyond the court. More than 130 of his former players have earned full-ride scholarships to four-year institutions, including Craig Porter Jr. (2018-19), a member of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, and Mychal Mulder (2013-15), who has spent time with several NBA clubs. A 2018 inductee into the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Franklin also served as President of the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association and was named one of the top five junior college coaches in the nation by Basketball Times.
Franklin holds a master’s degree in health and physical education from Austin Peay and a bachelor’s degree in history from Western Kentucky. He and his wife, Stephanie, have two adult daughters, Madison and Mary.