BALTIMORE, Md. (August 21, 2023)--Morgan State University has named Alvin Franklin Jr. as its next head bowling coach. Franklin becomes the fifth head coach in the program's history.
 
"We're excited about the opportunity to have Coach Alvin Franklin, Jr. be our new head women's bowling coach. He brings a championship pedigree," said Morgan State Senior Associate AD/Chief Operating Officer, Melvin Hines. "He's won championships before, and we feel like he's a coach that can help take our bowling program to the next level."
 
Franklin comes to Morgan State after serving the past three years as the head bowling coach of the men's and women's program at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio since 2020.
 
"Thank you to Melvin Hines and AD Dena Freeman-Patton for selecting me to fill some big shoes left by retiring bowling coach Tom Falbo. It's a dream come true to return home to Baltimore, MD and coach at one of the best HBCU schools in the nation," said Franklin. "Bowling has allowed me to gain a second family and also teach a sport that I am very passionate about all while giving back to the community."
 
In his final season at the helm of Lourdes, Franklin guided the Gray Wolves to a second consecutive second-place finish in the 2022-23 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Championships.
 
The year before, Franklin directed the Lourdes women to a WHAC runner-up finish in 2021-2022, which was the best in program history. Also on the women's side over his three seasons with the Gray Wolves, Franklin produced a NAIA All-American and a WHAC Newcomer of the Year. He also had three First-Team and two Second-Team All-WHAC honorees on the women's side and a Second-Team All-WHAC selection on the men's side.
 
In the classroom, Franklin produced a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American, as well as 17 NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 10 members of the WHAC All-Academic Team on the women's side.
 
His men have produced eight WHAC All-Academic Team honorees and four NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
 
Both the men's and women's teams were named NAIA Scholar Teams both seasons he has been at Lourdes.
 
Before taking over at Lourdes, Franklin spent five seasons at Ancilla College, where he began the bowling program in 2015. Franklin would lead the women's team to the 2019 NJCAA National Championship. Under his guidance, both the men's and women's teams finished as NJCAA national runner-up in 2018.
 
While with the Chargers, he was named the Michigan Community College Athletic Association Women's Bowling Coach of the Year, leading Ancilla to the regional title.
 
Prior to Ancilla, Franklin was the head boys' and girls' coach at Logansport High School from 2011-2015 after beginning his prep bowling coaching career at Rochester High School from 2006-2011.
 
Franklin has run clinics for youth bowlers since 2009. An avid bowler himself, he has rolled multiple 300 games and has an 800 series to his credit.
 
Franklin is a graduate of American Public University with a bachelor's degree in sports and health sciences.
 
"I have succeeded at each level of our sport, winning a Women's National Championship at Ancilla College in 2019. Now it's time to make some noise in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and NCAA D1 bowling. This is a humbling journey that I will remember forever. Baltimore born and raised, back home where it all started. Thank you to my family and friends for always supporting me and my better half Peggie Hurst for allowing me to live out my passion for coaching and bowling. Psst-He's Baaaack!!"
 
 
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE 
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more. 
• Follow us on social media:
Facebook: /MorganStateBears
Twitter: @MorganStBears
Instagram: /MorganStateBears
 
ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.