Mike Franklin steps down as Sandusky football coach

SANDUSKY -- Mike Franklin has spent more than half his life playing or coaching for the Sandusky Blue Streaks. That run came to an end Friday when Franklin stepped down as Sandusky's head football coach. Franklin, who broke the news to his players Friday afternoon, compiled a 90-83 record in 16 years, rebuilding a proud program that had fallen on hard times at the turn of the century. The 1991 Sandusky High School graduate, who teaches biology at the school, led the Blue Streaks to the OHSAA playoffs seven times. Franklin said he's stepping down in order to spend more time with his family. "Family first," he said. "My daughter (Molly) is graduating from college (University of Connecticut) this spring. My son Tyler goes to the University of Wisconsin. He's a sophomore and I've never been to the college, and I have a son (Michael) who's visiting colleges. It takes a tremendous amount of time." The Blue Streaks enjoyed a great four-year run from 2016 to 2019, going 37-12 and twice reaching a regional final. Franklin is proud of his program's success, but he pointed to behind-the-scenes moments as the most enjoyable part of the high-profile coaching job. "The summers were just as fun as any seasons," Franklin said. "What I remember most is everywhere we went, the managers of hotels and restaurants would say, 'Wow, your guys are great. You're doing a great job.' It's growing young men who know the difference between right and wrong. "The biggest thing is what people didn't see off the field and what the coaches did to make sure everyone was ready to go. People see Friday nights; they don't see the work that goes on behind the scenes the other 355 days a year." His last game as Sandusky's head coach was a 21-17 loss to Perkins last week at Strobel Field. Franklin's son Michael was the Streaks' quarterback and passed for 212 yards and two touchdowns, kicked a field goal, ran for a first down on a fake punt, caught a pass for a first down and made several tackles from his cornerback position. Sandusky athletic director Shawn Coakley, who hopes to introduce Franklin's successor by the end of the year, thanked Franklin, who was an assistant coach for seven years prior to being elevated to the top position. "We're so appreciative of the dedication and commitment Mike's had to the program for the last 20 years," Coakley said. "It's a huge job with an enormous time commitment. He's poured his heart and soul into it. He's a Blue Streak through and through." Franklin took over the program in 2006. The Streaks had six straight losing seasons to start the new century and Franklin's first three seasons were 3-7, 4-6 and 4-6. But by 2010, things began to turn. That year, Sandusky went 7-5 and upset top-seeded Avon 42-35 in a Division II playoff opener. It was Franklin's first of six playoff wins. Sandusky won just three games the past two seasons, but the roster is filled with plenty of young talent that should make for a smooth transition. "It was not in the best shape. To build it up and get it going again is satisfying," Franklin said of the Sandusky program. "We had a tremendous loss of students in our district and we were able to build that back up. "We're on the upswing. I always said I would never leave if we couldn't be successful. There's an extremely positive nucleus of players coming back next year." Only Larry Cook, who coached the Blue Streaks for 17 seasons (1984 to 2000), has been a head football coach at Sandusky longer than Franklin. As a star quarterback, Franklin helped Cook's 1990 team finish 12-1. Sandusky finished 10-0 that regular season and won two playoff games. Franklin scored the winning touchdown in overtime in a 21-15 come-from-behind win over Toledo St. John's Jesuit in the postseason opener. The next week, in front of a crowd of 11,125 fans at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Sandusky met Massillon for the Division I, Region 2 championship. After giving up the first score of the game, it was all Blue Streaks. They outgained the Tigers 397-188 in total yards, which included a career-high 79 rushing yards from Franklin in a 27-7 win. "I'm ecstatic. I've been coaching for 27 years and this is the happiest moment in my coaching career," Cook told longtime Register sports editor Butch Wagner after the game. Sandusky lost 27-14 to Warren Harding in a state semifinal game the following week. The Streaks wouldn't reach the playoffs again until 2010, the upset of Avon. Sandusky lost to eventual D-II state champion Maple Heights in the second round that year. Franklin played football at Hillsdale College in Michigan. His wife, Sarah, also is an SHS graduate and a teacher. She coaches tennis coach at the school. Coakley said a search committee will be formed and the job will be posted in early November. He hopes to begin conducting interviews after Thanksgiving. "We've got great facilities and a great fan base," Coakley said. "We have a winning tradition and we think it's a desirable position." Franklin said he would be receptive to working as a position coach next season. "I let them know whoever to next head coach is, I don't want to leave Sandusky football," he said. "As any coach will tell you, coaching's in your blood. You find a way to coach. I know that sounds crazy, but I'm not leaving with any bad blood."