UNM cross country head coach Joe Franklin was named NCAA Division I Mountain Region Women’s Coach of the Year on Tuesday.
He has been at the helm of the program for nine years, enjoying much success along the way. The leader of the pack said he often cites the motto “just have fun.” Maybe now he can take his own advice and enjoy the fruits of his hard work.
Franklin, who also recently received Mountain West Women’s Coach of the Year honors for the eighth straight year, is being selected for the region distinction for the third time in his tenure as a Lobo. He also received the award in 2010 and 2011. The honor is voted by fellow coaches in the region.
Courtney Frerichs said the head coach deserves all the praise and accolades he receives.
“It’s such an incredible honor for him,” Frerichs said. “He is such a key to all of our success. We would not be the team we are without him.”
Frerichs said Franklin is great at providing individualized training to each athlete, while also conveying what it takes to help the team overall. She said he has created an environment that is completely positive and essentially absent of stress.
“Every member (of the team) has made such an impact, “she said. “Everything has been such a positive experience and I think that’s why we’ve achieved so much success.”
Franklin has made the women’s cross country team a perennial national championship contender. The team has reached the national championships in eight consecutive seasons. This year, the women have been ranked number one in the nation for five straight weeks, quickly building an impressive résumé winning each of the first four meets.
They came in second place at the regional championships, but that was by design. Franklin said he hopes to learn from previous experiences and capitalize on conserving some of its energy.
The NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships will take place in Louisville, Kentucky this Saturday, where the Lobos can add one more piece of hardware to complete the season.
Robert Maler is a reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
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