Coach Franklin Returns to Lead Smith-Cotton Football
During its Monday, Jan. 26, meeting, the Sedalia School District 200 Board of Education approved the hiring of Michael Franklin as head coach for the Smith-Cotton Tigers football program.
He replaces Josh Gray, who resigned from that role in December.
Franklin, a member of the Smith-Cotton Class of 2005, returns to his alma mater after serving as the head coach of the Knob Noster High School football program since 2022, where he had a record of 26- 15.
The Panthers won a share of their conference championship this past season for the first time in 31 years. Over Franklin’s four years, seven of his athletes earned college football scholarships. He also received the Kansas City Chiefs Coach of the Week award this past season.
Franklin earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Missouri Valley College in 2010 and a master’s degree in education leadership from William Woods University in 2020. He played defensive back for two years at Northwest Missouri State University before transferring to Missouri Valley, where he also played defensive back for two years and earned All-Conference honors his junior year.
He worked in the Sedalia 200 district from 2013 to 2022, serving as an assistant football coach, football offensive coordinator and boys basketball head coach. Franklin takes over a Tigers football program that finished the 2025 season with a 6-5 record, including a district playoff win over Grandview.
“It is an incredible honor to return to my alma mater as the head football coach,” Franklin said. “This program means a great deal to me. The school and community helped shape who I am. I look forward to investing in our players, building positive relationships, and developing a football program that is rooted in effort, character and pride that everyone can stand behind.”
In the photos: Smith-Cotton alum Michael Franklin, who previously served as offensive coordinator for the Tigers football team, has been hired as the program’s head coach.
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