Dec. 20, 1999
LEXINGTON, Kty. — University of Kentucky Coach Hal Mumme has announced the hiringof assistant coach Dan Lounsbury and graduate assistant coach JohnSchlarman, along with naming current assistant coach Tony Franklin asthe Wildcats’ offensive coordinator.
Lounsbury will coach the UK tight ends and also help organizethe Wildcats’ special teams. He takes the spot on the staff that washeld by Chris Hatcher, who left UK to become head coach at ValdostaState University.
“Dan is one of the guys in this profession that I’ve admired fora long time,” Mumme said. “When Coach (Mike) Major and I were puttingthis offense together in 1986 (Mumme’s first season as head coach atCopperas Cove High School), we sought out Dan. He was at the Universityof Texas and had great success throwing the football at small colleges.Dan was very open and took a lot of time with us. He is a great teacherand communicator.
“When we came here I wanted to hire Dan, but he was theassistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University ofHouston. When Chris left, Dan was available and it worked out. He hascoached at a lot of different levels of football. It helps to have guyswho have paid their dues, so when they get to a place as great asKentucky they appreciate it more.”
A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Lounsbury has coachedfor a number of teams at the small college, major college, andprofessional levels. His coaching tour has taken him to these stops:
Sam Houston State, quarterbacks/wide receivers, 1976-77,
Howard Payne University, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks/widereceivers, 1978,
East Texas State, quarterbacks/wide receivers, 1979,
Southeastern Oklahoma State, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks/widereceivers from 1980-82, head coach from 1983-85,
University of Texas, tight ends/tackles, 1986,
Purdue, running backs/wide receivers, 1987-90,
New York – New Jersey Knights of the World League of AmericanFootball, wide receivers/special teams, 1991,
Wisconsin-Superior, head coach 1991-92,
Toronto of the Canadian Football League, quarterbacks/wide receivers,1993,
University of Houston, quarterbacks 1994-96, assistant headcoach/offensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator/quarterbacks,1997-98, and
Shreveport of the Regional Football League, offensivecoordinator/quarterbacks, spring 1999.
Lounsbury has helped develop a number of outstanding players.At East Texas State, he coached future National Football Leaguequarterback Wade Wilson. While at Purdue, his pupils included CalvinWilliams, who went on to play with the Philadelphia Eagles. His 1996Houston team won the Conference USA championship and quarterback ChuckClements was named the league’s player of the year. Following Clements’departure, Lounsbury gave the quarterback job to freshman JasonMcKinley, who earned Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors.
“I wanted to come here because of Hal Mumme,” Lounsbury said ofhis decision to join the UK staff. “He’s a good coach and he has a goodprogram here. I just want to contribute and do what I can to help itget better.”
Lounsbury recalled when their friendship began taking root in1986, saying that they spent a lot of time talking about and working onpass protection. His reward? “Hal took me out and bought a hamburger,”Lounsbury remembers, laughing.
Now, when Mumme wants to discuss pass protection, he can alsocall upon his new graduate assistant coach – former All-SEC offensiveguard John Schlarman. Schlarman will help Guy Morriss coach theoffensive line. Schlarman takes the graduate assistant post vacated bySonny Dykes, who got a full-time assistant coaching job at Texas Tech.
“Coach Morriss wanted help with the offensive line and John is anatural for the position,” Mumme said. “He’s already acquired two goodyears of coaching experience with Dudley Hilton at Bourbon County. Johnbrings a lot of enthusiasm to the job and we think he’ll be a greatasset.”
Schlarman coached the defensive line at Bourbon County in 1998and 1999, helping guide the team to the state playoffs both seasons.Schlarman was a four-year starter in the Kentucky offensive line from1994-97. He was named to the Freshman All-SEC team in 1994 and waschosen the team’s most outstanding offensive lineman in 1995 and ’96.As a senior in 1997, he played for Mumme and Morriss, earning first-teamAll-SEC accolades.
Also an outstanding student, Schlarman was a three-year memberof the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was a finalist for AcademicAll-America in 1997 after earning a place on the GTE AcademicAll-District IV team. Prior to UK, he was an all-state offensivelineman at Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Ky.
“I was very excited when Coach Mumme asked if I wanted to be agraduate assistant. I think I’ll really enjoy working with thelinemen,” Schlarman said. “I want to be in college coaching, andworking with Coach Mumme and the staff is a great opportunity.”
In addition to the two hirings, Mumme has announced that currentassistant coach Tony Franklin has been given the position of offensivecoordinator. Franklin will take additional responsibility in helpingMumme organize the UK “Air Raid” offense.
“Tony has become a proven college coach during his three yearson our staff,” Mumme said. “He’s flourished in every task I’ve givenhim and is well-qualified to do the same things that Mike Leach did forus. He’ll be a great help in helping run the offense.”
Franklin has coached the running backs in his three seasons atUK. During his term, Anthony White and Derek Homer each moved into thetop 12 on the UK career rushing list. In 1997-98, White and Homeraccumulated 4,019 rushing and receiving yards, more than any other duoof running backs in the Southeastern Conference. White is third on theSEC career receptions list with 194 catches. White became one of threeplayers in NCAA Division I-A history to surpass 1,500 rushing yards and1,500 receiving yards. Last week, recruiting analyst Tom Culpepperchose Franklin as one of the top 10 recruiters among assistant coachesin the South.
“I’m honored and excited,” Franklin said of his new position.”There’s no place I’d rather be offensive coordinator than theUniversity of Kentucky and I’m looking forward to it. I hope tocontinue to add the things to our offense that Coach (Mike) Leachadded.” Leach was UK’s offensive coordinator in 1997-98 and is now headcoach at Texas Tech.
