College Bowls 2000


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Franchione watches his former team
Associated Press

MOBILE, Ala. -- Dennis Franchione didn't guide Texas Christian into the Mobile Alabama Bowl as planned, but he was there rooting for his former team Wednesday night.

Franchione, who took over as Alabama's coach three weeks ago, showed up at Ladd-Peebles Stadium early in the first quarter to watch TCU play Southern Mississippi.

"I just wanted to be here to support the team and let them know I'm here cheering on the team," Franchione said in an impromptu halftime press conference. "I don't want this game to be about me, but about the team and the players. I just wanted to quietly come in here and be a spectator."

Franchione, who coached New Mexico's Lobos for six years before leaving for TCU, watched the early part of the game from behind TCU's end zone, doing an interview with ESPN, then sat in the President's Box with Mobile's mayor and bowl officials. He was succeeded by his defensive coordinator, Gary Patterson, as TCU's coach.

The school had initially planned to have Franchione coach the game, but changed its decision last week.

"If they'd gone outside the program to hire somebody, I'd probably have had to coach the game," Franchione said. "All I ever wanted was what was best for the team. I think we did what was best."

He said he had "mixed emotions" watching the game.

"I gave a lot of myself to that team and those kids and those coaches," Franchione said. "I'm certainly pulling for them."

Franchione turned Frogs into bowl princes

TCU begins Patterson era in Mobile Alabama Bowl

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