Fran Welch

College coach infobox
Name = Francis George Welch


Caption = Coach Fran Welch
DateOfBirth = August 21, 1895
Birthplace = Hartford, Kansas
DateOfDeath = June 19, 1970
Deathplace = Kansas City, Kansas
Sport = College football
College = Emporia State University
Title =
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord = 115-82-15
Awards = Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
NAIA Track & Field Hall of Fame
CFbDWID =
Player = trigger
Years = 1914-1917
Team = Emporia State
Position = Quarterback
Coach = Trigger
CoachYears = 1928-1942
1946-1954

CoachTeams = Emporia State Emporia State
FootballHOF =

Francis George Welch (August 21, 1895-June 19, 1970) was a college football, track & field coach and athletic director in the United States. He was of the first three coaches to be selected for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Track and Field Hall of Fame and is a member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. [ [http://www.kshof.org/hof-profiles.cfm?record_id=70 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame] , Francis Welch]

In 1960, Emporia State University named the football stadium Welch Stadium to honor his legacy. [ [http://www.emporia.edu/saf/news/spotlight/spotlight332.pdf#5 Emporia State University Spotlight] , "A soldier in two wars, a teacher for five decades" (Summer 2003)]

Playing History

Fran Welch enrolled in Kansas State Normal School (now Emporia State University) in 1914. Head football coach Bill Hargiss put him at quarterback where he remained until graduation four years later. He also displayed skill in baseball and basketball, earning 11 varsity letters before his graduation in 1918. [ [http://www.oberheide.org/hargiss/Hargiss%27%20athletes/Welch/F.G.%20Welch.htm H. W. "Bill" Hargiss] , notes on Fran Welch]

Coaching history

Football

Welch was the 13th head football coach for Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas and he held that position for 24 seasons, from 1928 until 1942 and then again from 1946 until 1954. His overall coaching record at ESU was 115 wins, 82 losses, and 15 ties. As of completion of the 2007 season, this ranks him first at ESU in terms of total wins [ [http://www.emporia.edu/athletics/football/facilities.htm Fran Welch Stadium] ] and sixth at ESU in terms of winning percentage. [ [http://www.emporia.edu/athletics/football/07ESUFBmediaguide.pdf Emporia State University] 2007 Football Media Guide]

Emporia State, like many schools, did not play football during World War II.

Welch led his team to a victory in the Missouri-Kansas Bowl with a 34-20 victory over Missouri State University on December 4, 1948 in Kansas City, Missouri. It was the only year the bowl game was played. [ [http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/bowls/bowl_results.php?bowlid=187 College Football Data Warehouse] , Missouri-Kansas Bowl Games] It was Emporia's first post-season football game. [ [http://www.emporia.edu/athletics/football/07ESUFBmediaguide.pdf Emporia State University] 2007 Football Media Guide]

Track & Field

Welch coached the track & field teams at Emporia as well. His teams were conference champs ten times, won four NAIA championships and placed second three times in 13 years of competition. Fran developed three NCAA individual champions and 13 individual NAIA champs. [ [http://www.oberheide.org/hargiss/Hargiss%27%20athletes/Welch/F.G.%20Welch.htm H. W. "Bill" Hargiss] , notes on Fran Welch]

In 1960, Welch was selected to coach field event participants of the United States Women's Track and Field Team for the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.

Personal life

Welch was awarded a Bachelor of Science in education in 1918 form Kansas Normal, then completed requirements for a degree in agriculture at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. He served as a U.S. Army Lieutenant in World War I [ [http://www.emporia.edu/saf/news/spotlight/spotlight332.pdf#5 Emporia State University Spotlight] , "A soldier in two wars, a teacher for five decades" (Summer 2003)] and took a leave of absence from teaching to serve in World War II as a Captain and special services officer at Fort Riley. [ [http://www.emporiagazette.com/ Emporia Gazette] , "F.G. (Fran) Welch Dies Following a Brief Sickness", 1970]

References

External links

* [http://www.emporia.edu/athletics/ Emporia State University] official athletics website