Joe Franklin
During his time in Indianapolis, Franklin built the Butler program into a national force in men's and women's cross country. He led eight teams (six men's, two women's) to the NCAA Cross Country Championships with seven squads earning top-25 finishes between 1998-2006. In 2004, Franklin was named USTFCCCA National Cross Country Coach of the Year after leading the Butler men to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championship. The Bulldogs sent a team to the NCAA Championships five of the last six years Franklin was at the helm and dominated the Horizon League in cross country. Franklin earned conference Coach of the Year honors 17 times in cross country and was named Men's Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year in 1998. Under Franklin, Butler athletes earned track or cross country All-America honors nine times, won 128 conference titles and earned 276 all-conference awards. Franklin mentored Victoria Mitchell to the 2005 NCAA title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
