Former Texas A&M, TCU, Alabama, New Mexico and Texas State coach Dennis Franchione has died at the age of 75, his family announced Tuesday.

Franchione had fought a prolonged battle with kidney cancer, which he was first diagnosed with in 2016 with a recurrence in 2021. He fought the cancer into remission twice, but when it returned earlier this year, he entered hospice care in Austin.

A graduate of Pittsburg (Kans.) State, Franchione was a head coach for 30 years and compiled a 213-135-2 record. Franchione’s first major Division I job was at New Mexico from 1992-1997, where he coached future Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher and took the Lobos to their first bowl game in 26 years in 1997.

Franchione was then hired as the head coach at TCU, a program that had gone 1-10 the season before he arrived. But, behind a stifling defense developed by Gary Patterson and the running of another hall of famer, LaDainian Tomlinson, the Horned Frogs went 10-1 in 2000. In three years, Franchione led TCU to their first bowl game since 1957, their first top 25 finish since 1959 and ended his tenure with the highest winning percentage since Francis Schmidt, who coached in Fort Worth from 1929-1933.

Franchione was then hired by Alabama, which was dealing with the fallout from the disastrous Mike DuBose era. The Crimson Tide went 7-5 in 2001, but jumped to 9-3 and first in the SEC West in 2002 — but, due to NCAA sanctions related to the DuBose regime, Alabama was banned from the postseason.

Still, Alabama was impressed enough to offer Franchione a 10-year, $15 million extension, which sat unsigned for months. Speculation began that he was looking to leave Tuscaloosa for somewhere else — which was accurate. That somewhere else was Texas A&M, which hired Franchione shortly after dismissing R.C. Slocum, the winningest coach in program history.

Franchione’s first year in Aggieland was a disaster, as A&M went 4-8, including an infamous 77-0 loss at Oklahoma. Franchione had redshirted nearly the entire 2003 signing class, and that group joined quarterback Reggie McNeal in a wide open offense that helped the program rebound from its first losing season in 21 years to a 7-5 record and a berth in the Cotton Bowl.

The Aggies lost 38-10 to Tennessee in that game, which had long-term consequences for the program. After seeing his team get out-muscled by the Volunteers, Franchione scrapped the pass-heavy offense and went to a more physical, option-heavy offense with McNeal and, later, Stephen McGee.

2005 was another mess as the Aggies slipped back to 5-6 and were 107th nationally in total defense, leading to the firing of defensive coordiantor Carl Torbush. 2006 saw the Aggies’ best season under Franchione, as A&M went 9-3 and beat Texas in Austin 12-7. The Aggies received a Holiday Bowl invite, only to be blown out by Cal 45-10.

In 2007, during the midst of a 7-6 season, Brent Zwerneman of the San Antonio Express-News broke the story that Franchione and his personal media assistant, Mike McKenzie, had been sending, and profiting from, a secret newsletter to prominent boosters. Though he kept his job, Franchione was found to have violated two NCAA rules, was formally admonished by Athletic Director Bill Byrne and McKenzie was fired.

After beating Texas a second time in a row 38-30, Franchione resigned as A&M’s head coach on Nov. 23. Three days later, Byrne hired Mike Sherman as his replacement.

After three seasons out of football, Franchione returned to Texas State, where he had initially coached in 1990 and 1991 before moving to New Mexico. Franchione oversaw the move of the Bobcats from FCS to the FBS level before retiring after the 2015 season.

Franchione is survived by his wife of 49 years, Kim, two daughters and a son.