| Title: | Assistant AD, Compliance / Women's Triathlon Head Coach |
| Phone: | (503) 370-6934 |
| Email: | bfranz@willamette.edu |
| Year: | 4th |
| Degree: | BS, Business Marketing, Western Oregon University '03 |
| Degree: | MA, Education - Athletic Administration, Lindenwood University '06 |
Coaching Philosophy
Athletically, I want to push our student-athletes to set goals bigger than what they thought was possible. Understanding that the change it takes to achieve these new goals will set them up to take on challenges in the day to day of life.
Academically, I want to push our student-athletes to explore learning and take on new challenges. I want to help them discover new ways to learn and figure out how to utilize their strengths to be successful.
At the end of a student-athlete's career at Willamette University, I want them to walk away knowing that they have a support system that they will have throughout their life. My greatest coaching moments come years later when our former student-athletes are successfully tackling careers, relationships, life with a passion and confidence that they learned here!
Brett Franz is the first head coach of the Willamette women's triathlon team, which began competing in the fall of 2021. Franz previously served as the assistant head coach of cross country and track and field at Willamette. He is in his 19th year coaching at Willamette.
In just the third year of competition, Franz led the Triathlon program to National recognition in 2023. The Bearcats finished as the West Region runners up and had a 5th place finish at the Collegiate Championships. The Bearcats had the West Region and National Freshman of the year, and Franz was named the Division III National Coach of the Year. In the first 3 years of competition, the Bearcats have garnered 3 All-American awards and 8 Scholar-All American Awards.
"Our triathlon program is a great opportunity for student-athletes to get the top-level academic experience that Willamette is known for, as well as the opportunity to compete at the NCAA level in triathlon," Franz added.
Franz has also been elected by the Triathlon coaches to the Collegiate Triathlon Coaches Board as the Vice President in 2024 and he previously served as the Secretary of the Board in 2022-2023
As a cross country coach, Franz helped the Bearcats win nine Northwest Conference men's team titles and six NWC women's team championships, along with three NCAA West Regional men's championships and four NCAA West Regional women's titles. Franz helped the Bearcat women's team place ninth at the NCAA Championships in 2007, 12th in 2013 and 15th in 2014 and 10th in 2015.
Franz coached sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, and multi-event athletes during the track and field season. He helped sprinters and jumpers win 28 NWC individual championships and six NWC relay titles on their way to 87 All-NWC performances. Franz has coached 10 athletes at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, including several All-America performances. During his time at Willamette, he has coached athletes to two school records, plus numerous individual and relay top 10 all-time marks. He helped the Bearcats win one NWC men's track and field team title and four NWC women's team championships.
Prior to joining the Willamette coaching staff, Franz was the head men's and women's cross country and distance coach at Lindenwood University (Mo.) and was the head assistant coach for the track and field teams. At Lindenwood, Franz worked with a squad that had 50 NAIA track and field All-Americans, including 11 NAIA national champions. The Lindenwood men won the NAIA Indoor National Track and Field Championship and a runner-up finish in outdoor track. In cross country, Franz led the Lindenwood men to a third place finish at the NAIA national meet and coached the NAIA individual national champion and runner-up.
He was named the Heart of America Athletic Conference and NAIA Region V Coach of the Year in cross country. He was chosen as the NAIA National Assistant Coach of the Year for indoor track.
Franz earned a bachelor's degree in Business Marketing from Western Oregon University in 2003. He received a master's degree in Athletic Administration at Lindenwood in 2006.
