Millwood coach belongs in Hall
Somehow it was ironic that I received a ballot for the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame this week.
Ironic because I’ve been working on a project about Varryl Franklin, the legendary Millwood High School basketball coach. Ironic, too, because Franklin is never up for these types of honors.
You can search high and low for a hall of fame that Franklin is a part of, and you won’t find it. No coaches’ hall of fame. No state hall of fame. No national one either.
If Franklin is a member of a hall of fame, my Google searching prowess has failed me.
On his basketball record alone, he should be a hall of famer. He has won 11 state championships as the head boys basketball coach at Millwood. That’s more prep basketball titles than any other coach, alive or dead, male or female in Oklahoma history.
Think of all the great high school coaches this state has produced. Bertha Teague. Jenks Simmons. Even Eddie Sutton and Sherri Coale spent some time in the high school ranks. None of those greats won anywhere close to the number of titles that Franklin has won. That should be enough to get him into a hall of fame.
But the thing is, his greatness is so much bigger than those on-court triumphs. He is a maker of men, a builder of leaders. He has helped to encourage and empower generation after generation of athletes at Millwood.
He did it as a longtime football assistant. He did it as a basketball assistant before becoming the head coach 30 years ago. And he continues to do it to this day.
One of his former players called him an “unsung hero.”
Maybe the reason that no hall of fame has ever come calling is because Franklin could care less about individual honors or personal accolades. He doesn’t ask for them. Heck, I get the feeling like he doesn’t even like them.
But Franklin deserves them.
Goodness knows, there are bunch of deserving candidates on my ballot for the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. But this much I know – it’s a shame that there’s no write-in area. If there was, I know who’s name I’d put there.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
You deserve a “Pat on the Back”
What a Wonderful Interview. I am a parent, and can say
He is truly a Blessing to have and know as a coach, “who models out to young men that GOD has set a standard”, in showing integrity and value for one self one another. I enjoy the all the Coaching Staff at MillWood.
A WONDERFUL ARTICLE… THERE IS NO WAY MANY OF US COULD THANK HIM ENOUGH FOR PROVIDING A POSITIVE MODEL FOR OUR YOUNG MEN TO EMULATE… THAT IS WHAT HE DID FOR ALL FIVE OF MY CHILDREN (BOYS AND GIRLS) THEIR (15)COUSINS AND UNNUMBERD FRIENDS… MR FRANKLIN AND HIS FATHER WHO GAVE MORE THAN HIS TIME AS A CITY FIREMAN TO THE KIDS OF HIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND HIS SAINTED MOTHER (AN EDUCATOR TO HER PURE HEART)ARE THE KINDS OF PEOPLE THE CITY OF OKC NEEDS MORE OF… THEY ARE “THE VILLAGE” THAT NURTURES THE FUTURE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS IN OUR MIDST… GOD BLESS THE FRANKLINS
he is by far the the leader in molding young men that he teaches. i for on am very fortuniate that i spent 3 years of my life under his guidence. at the time, i did not like it but, it has always helped me in my adult life all the lessions that i learned. Thanks “CHOP”
Wonderful piece Jenni. You captured a side of Franklin that I knew in the late 1970′s. Coach Franklin was deeply influential in my life, as I found solace and peace and order in basketball. I channeled my teenage energy into a productive sports life that allowed me to learn how teams work. These life lessons have allowed me to be a leader in my work life. They have informed and guided me as a father to my own children and a as mentor to young men in my community.
I was fortunate to grow up in an era when community values were different. It was not quite the village raising the child notion, but it approached this ideal. I had a mother and a father in my home, and though I didn’t know it at the time, I enjoyed privilege based on how my parents provided for our family and their active involvement in our home.
Notwithstanding the advantages in my home, Coach Franklin looms large, very large, in my development as a man. Integrity was at the core of what he conveyed to us. A consistent and demanding work ethic was expected. He also cared deeply about our academic achievement.
At 48 I am still an athlete. This year I plan to participate in my second 1/2 Ironman triathlon race, and my second and third marathons. In 2011 I plan to do my first full Ironman. If these athletic goals are met, certainly Coach Franklin will deserve some of the credit for having molded my mind and honed my discipline.
A scripture from Proverbs comes to mind when I reminisce of this man’s contribution to my life, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17). Jeni, thanks for illuminating Varryl Franklin’s long and distinguished career for your readers. We should all be as committed in sharpening one another.
Frank Wilson IV
Millwood Class of 1980
Chicago, Illinois
Jenni,
I thoroughly enjoyed your article about V.R. Franklin. His name has always been synonymous with winner and his teams have always performed at the highest level. He no doubt has been a tremendous influence on hundreds of young men during his great career at Millwood. Thanks for sharing his story with the readers.