11 Facts About Fran Welch

Francis George Welch was an American football player and coach, track and field coach, and college athletics administrator.

Fran Welch was of the first three coaches to be selected for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Track and Field Hall of Fame and is a member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Fran Welch displayed skill in baseball and basketball, earning 11 varsity letters before his graduation in 1918.

Fran Welch was the 13th head football coach for Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas and he held that position for 24 seasons, from 1928 until 1954.

Fran Welch coached an "all-star" team made up of Kansas players to play a similar squad from Missouri in the "Mo-Kan Bowl" all-star exhibition game.

Fran Welch coached the track and field teams at Emporia as well.

Fran Welch's teams were conference champs ten times, won four NAIA championships and placed second three times in 13 years of competition.

Fran Welch developed three NCAA individual champions and 13 individual NAIA champs.

In 1960, Fran Welch was selected to coach field event participants of the United States Women's Track and Field Team for the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.

Fran Welch was awarded a Bachelor of Science in education in 1918 from Kansas Normal, then completed requirements for a degree in agriculture at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.

Fran Welch served as a United States Army lieutenant in World War I and took a leave of absence from teaching to serve in World War II as a captain and special services officer at Fort Riley.