Huntingdon hires Franklin as men’s tennis head coach
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Huntingdon College President J. Cameron West and Director of Athletics Eric Levanda announced the hiring of Tony Franklin on Wednesday as the new head men's tennis coach.
A 1984 Huntingdon graduate, Franklin comes to Huntingdon after helping restart the tennis program at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville.
"We are pleased to welcome Coach Franklin back to Huntingdon College to lead our men's tennis program," West said. "He brings a wealth of experience as a head coach, and a genuine enthusiasm for his alma mater. I am excited about the future of our tennis program under his leadership."
Franklin spent the past three seasons as the head men's and women's tennis coach at Wallace State. During that time, he led the men to two conference championships and was named the Alabama Community College Conference Coach of the Year in 2017.
In his final season, the men's team was ranked as high as 11th in the ITA rankings and the women were ranked 20th.
"I'm not sure there's a better fit for this position than Tony Franklin. He is a successful tennis coach who knows and loves Huntingdon," Levanda said. "He's a competitor and he will be personally invested in leading the Huntingdon men's tennis program on the court, in the classroom and in life."
Before Wallace State, Franklin taught in the Alexander City School System from 1989-2015. He coached the Benjamin Russell High School boys tennis team, and later, the girls tennis team during two separate stints.
"I want to thank President West, Vice President Jay Dorman and Director of Athletics Eric Levanda for this opportunity," Franklin said. "I also want to thank (women's tennis coach) Ximena Moore for her recommendation. I've known Ximena for a long time and I look forward to working with her.
"I'm excited to be back at Huntingdon. I enjoyed my time here as a student-athlete and in the back of my mind, I've always kept this job in mind and wanted to come back and coach here. This is a special place, a great place to get an education and a school that prepares students to be successful after graduation."
Franklin graduated from Huntingdon with a degree in business management in 1984 before earning his master's degree in elementary education from AUM in 1996.