That's because Franklin uses the passing offense that Hal Mumme uses at Kentucky and Mike Leach, a former assistant at UK with Franklin, now uses at Texas Tech.
"We will spread the ball around to everyone on the field. It's a no-huddle offense designed to throw the football," Franklin said. "It is a fan-friendly offense and one that quarterbacks, receivers and running backs all like. We plan to move the football and score points."
Coached some of UK's best players
Franklin helped coach quarterbacks Tim Couch, Jared Lorenzen and Dusty Bonner at Kentucky along with receivers like Craig Yeast and Derek Abney. He was part of the Outback Bowl and Music City Bowl teams before deciding to resign midway through the 2001 season because of philosophical differences with Mumme.
Kentucky later was found guilty of several NCAA infractions and placed on probation. Franklin was never named in any wrongdoing and his biggest mistake was telling the truth when asked what had happened.
He later wrote a book, "Fourth Down and Life to Go," that was an inside look at the UK program under Mumme.
When no college offers came his way despite his success at Kentucky, he took over as head coach of the Lexington Horsemen. Franklin also started a successful consulting business and has clients across the country that study his passing offense
Troy coach Larry Blakeney tried to hire Franklin three years ago. Franklin was tempted, but felt the move was not right for his family or would not have been fair to the Horsemen since the team's season was about to begin.
Now the timing is right. Franklin also had a chance to go to Middle Tennessee, but he picked Troy.
"I just felt this was the better fit for me because of my Alabama connections and the coaches I knew down here," Franklin said via phone from his new office in Alabama. "It has been a struggle the last few years. It's nice to finally know that after doing what I felt was the right thing, there were people out there who did care about having you do things the right way. It's good to see that wins out and doing the right thing does pay off.
"I'm excited. Sometimes you convince your brain you don't miss something. But I missed coaching."
Will continue consulting business
Franklin also will be able to continue his consulting business. That should have been an easy concession for Troy officials to make since Franklin will know have high school coaches from across the country coming to the Alabama campus, which is 45 miles south of Montgomery, to learn his passing offense. That's a lot of exposure for Troy football.
Of course, Franklin has a lot of work to do. Troy was 4-7 last year and next season's schedule includes consecutive September games at Florida State, Georgia Tech and Nebraska, three former national championship programs, along with Sun Belt Conference games.
But Franklin likes to work. His second book, "Victor's Victory," was published in August and is the heartbreaking story of a 15-year-old star football player in Alabama who collapsed and died on the practice field in 2002. He's done a weekly radio sports show on WVLK in Lexington for several years. He's written a football column for a weekly publication in Lexington.
However, Franklin is a football coach. He spent 15 seasons as an assistant or head coach in the Kentucky high school ranks before going to Kentucky. Now he's finally going to be back on the sidelines doing what he does best.
"There's nothing I like more than coaching. Fortunately, I'm getting another chance to do what I love," he said.
