By Thomas Lawrence, Record Staff Writer
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Louis Franklin, the Tokay High football head coach the past eight seasons, has accepted a job at South Tahoe High beginning in 2015-16. Franklin is a 2000 graduate of Tokay and will be the head football coach and a special education teacher in Tahoe. MICHAEL MCCOLLUM/FOR THE RECORD
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By Thomas Lawrence, Record Staff Writer
Posted Apr. 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM
If Louis Franklin’s four kids could live anywhere, Disneyland would be the top choice.
While South Lake Tahoe may not have Space Mountain, it’s a solid second place, he said.
After eight seasons as the Tokay High football team’s head coach, Franklin has accepted a job with South Tahoe High beginning in 2015-16, as the football coach and a special education teacher. It wasn’t an easy decision for Franklin, who graduated from Tokay in 2000 and played quarterback there and Saint Mary’s College, but one that he and his family are happy with.
Franklin wrote an email to his staff announcing his move, saying he thought it would be a decade from now that it would’ve happened. That’s when his son Tyler, now 8 years old, would be graduating after playing for the Tigers.
“Tokay will always have a special place in my heart,” Franklin said.
Franklin, who became the Tigers’ athletic director in 2010, began his coaching career as a Weston Ranch assistant and took over at Tokay in 2007. In Franklin’s first season, the Tigers went 1-9, but thrived at 22-11 his final three years and earned three consecutive playoff berths — a program record.
“Being an AD, I think the best thing I was able to do was get more good coaches on campus,” Franklin said. “That helped the program get to where it is today.”
Indeed, Franklin was the only on-campus coach when he took over, and that number is now eight.
He’s not sure who his heir is, he said, but Tokay certainly plans on hiring from within.
Franklin is excited to move his family to the Tahoe area not just for the beautiful surroundings, but because of the school district itself.
“With all they have to offer in the school district, we were just amazed,” Franklin said. “We were re-energized and refreshed about education and technology and classrooms.”
Besides Tyler, Franklin has three daughters — Gabriella, 6, Grace, 4, and Stella, 16 months.
“We feel this move is going to be better for our family. We feel like it’s a better quality of life up there,” Franklin said.
South Tahoe, which is considered a Nevada school for athletics, has been reeling with losing seasons in 10 of the past 11 campaigns. In five of those, the Vikings had one win.
Franklin’s players at Tokay, like graduating senior T.J. Gotelli — a wide receiver and preferred walk-on to be at Rice — will miss his enthusiasm and enjoyable practices. In fact, Franklin would get in the mix with the scout team defense.
“He used to put on the pads with us,” Gotelli said. “That was everybody’s favorite thing.”
And while he attempts to turn the program around, Franklin will keep an eye on the Grape Bowl back in Lodi to see how his alma mater and former program is faring.
“It’s a great ride,” Franklin said, “and I’ll be their biggest fan up in Tahoe now watching them, following them every Friday night.”