UTEP Hires Gabe Franklin as New Cornerbacks Coach

UTEP announced another football coaching hire today. Gabe Franklin, a former standout defensive back with Boise State, joins Mike Price and the Miners for the 2011 season. Franklin had spent last season with the University of San Diego. He replaces Allen Johnson, who left the program to become co-defensive coordinator at Lamar University. Here's the official UTEP release:

Gabe Franklin Named Cornerbacks Coach At UTEP

EL PASO, TEXAS –Gabe Franklin has been tabbed as UTEP’s cornerbacks coach, head coach Mike Price announced Wednesday. Franklin replaces Allen Johnson, who recently departed to serve as the secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator at Lamar University. 

“We're very fortunate to get Gabe,” Price said. “He has experience coaching in the Pac-10 at the University of California with Al Simmons. He has experience coaching at the FCS level with San Diego. He has experience as a starting cornerback at a mid-major school.  And he has experience playing in the NFL at the position he's going to coach here.  He will be able to relate to our players very well, and they will be really excited to work with him. He has experience recruiting both Northern and Southern California and that will help us.  He's a really professional guy who hits all of the aspects."

Franklin joins the Miners after serving as the cornerbacks coach for the University of San Diego during the 2010 season. He helped the Toreros forge a mark of 5-6, including a winning record (5-3) within the Pioneer Football League.

He mentored CB Al-Rilwan Adeyemi to an appearance on the 2010 All-PFL Defensive First-Team. Adeyemi was second on the squad with 48 tackles, including 32 solo, while he registered a team-high six interceptions. He also chipped in four pass breakups. Additionally, Adeyemi was recently selected to the Consensus Draft Services’ Preseason 2011 All-America second team.

“I am very honored and excited to be joining the UTEP family,” Franklin said. “I am thankful to Coach Price and Coach Patterson for this opportunity and look forward to a great season. I am especially excited to be working with Al Simmons again and continuing our success building a great defensive backs unit.”

Prior to his time at USD, Franklin spent two years on the Cal football staff as an administrative assistant on the defensive side of the football from 2008-09. Prominent players coached while at Cal include 2011 NFL third-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears, Chris Conte, and two-time First-Team All Pac-10 and 2010 NFL seventh-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos Syd’Quan Thompson.

His start in coaching came at his high school alma mater, Bishop O’Dowd, in 2007. He aided the squad to a second-place finish in the league and a spot in the first round of the playoffs.

Franklin was an outstanding player in his own right before entering the coaching ranks. From 2001-04 he was a member of a Boise State team that compiled a 44-7 record and won a pair of bowl games. He finished as the NCAA’s career leader in passes defended (72), and was a three-time All-WAC selection. He rates third at BSU and tied for fourth in conference history with 18 interceptions. Additionally he started every game of his collegiate career.

In 2004 he posted a team-high 17 pass breakups to go along with 61 tackles and four picks on the way to securing first-team all-conference accolades. He reaped second-team all-league honors after tallying eight interceptions as a junior in 2003.

After Boise State, Franklin was a free-agent signee with the San Diego Chargers in 2005. He was also a member of the New York Giants that year. Franklin remained in the NFL through 2007, enjoying stints with the Charges (2006, 2007) and San Francisco 49ers (2006) while also competing for the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe in 2007.

The native of Oakland, Calif., graduated from BSU with a bachelor of science degree in psychology in 2004.