Entering 2024-25: 21st season, 27th overall
Alma Mater: Carson-Newman College ('98)
Campbellsville Duals Record: 242-116 (20 years)
Overall Duals Record: 251-124 (21 years)
Individual National Champions: 4
All-Americans: 73
Franky James was hired to start the Campbellsville University's wrestling program in April 2004. He has built a nationally competitive program that competes for top honors every year. The 2021-22 season will mark the 24th year of coaching on the college level for James.
Entering the 2020-21 season, James is second on the NAIA's active wins leader list and 34th including NCAA, JUCO and NAIA with 223 dual wins.
During his first season at CU, he qualified four Tigers for nationals and had his first All-American (Scott Vaughn) and the Tigers finished 21st as a team. The program has finished inside the Top 20 every year since and currently has a streak of seven straight years placing inside the Top 10 at the NAIA National Tournament.
Since 2010, the Tigers have also finished inside the Top 5 every year at the NWCA National Duals. Over the past 13 years, James has had 13 Individual National Finalist, four National Champions and 55 All-Americans. Winning the NAIA individual national championship in 2007 with sophomore Zach Flake, 2010 with sophomore Tommy Pretty, in 2015 with Davion Caston and in 2018 with senior Chuck Sharon.
In 2017, Campbellsville qualified only six grapplers for the NAIA Championship but still was able to tie its highest finish by placing third at the NAIA National Tournament. That equals the 2012 team, which placed third in Des Moines. CU also had a pair of Tigers on ESPN in the national championship matches - Adrian Camposano (125) and Chuck Sharon (184).
In 2019, he guided the Tigers to an 11th-place finish at the NAIA National Championship. James also coached eventual NAIA Champion, Chuck Sharon, to his first national title at 184 pounds and Sharon also became a three-time NAIA All-American in his senior campaign.
The 2020 season was one for the books in the regular season. The Tigers went 21-2 overall including wins six wins over NAIA Top 20 opponents. CU also finished fifth at the NWCA National Duals and had five NAIA All-Americans place at Nationals.
In a 2021 season altered severely by COVID-19, the Tigers finished 5-2 in their regular season duals and finished in fourth place at the Mid-South Conference Championship. The season was highlighted by the NAIA fourth place finish by Gavin Smith as he earned All-American status in the 165 lbs. weight class.
At the NAIA Championship, CU finished seventh in 2020, third in 2017, fifth in 2016, fifth in 2013, sixth in 2011 and 2009, and seventh in 2007. His top NWCA National Duals are as followed: 2020, fifth; 2017, fifth; 2016, fourth; 2014, fourth; 2014, fifth; 2013, fourth; 2012, fifth; 2011, fourth.
In addition to being one of top programs on the mat, the program has done very well academically and has consistently been in the top five nationally. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association NAIA academic standings the program finished No. 1 in the nation in 2009-10, No. 2 in 2006-07 and followed that up with a No. 3 finish in 2007 and 2008.
In 2009-10, the Mid-South Conference added wrestling as a sport and James' team swept through the first-ever MSC Duals to win the MSC Championship. James was named MSC Coach of the Year, while Tommy Pretty was named the MSC Wrestler of the Year and Nick Waldrop was named Co-Freshman of the Year. Six CU wrestlers were also named All-Conference. Following that season, CU was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCAA) NAIA All-Academic Team for having the highest team GPA at the NAIA National Championships.
In 2016, the Tigers won their fourth Mid-South Conference Tournament Championship, which also doubled as the NAIA East Region Championship.
During the 2022-23 season, James' team won the Mid-South Conference Tournament Championship.
Prior to joining the Campbellsville staff, James was hired as an assistant coach at The Virginia Military Institute prior to the 2002-03 season, helping lead VMI to its first-ever All-Academy Tournament title. VMI also won the Virginia Intercollegiate State Title for the first time. While at VMI, James had the pleasure of coaching two of the winningest wrestlers in school history, Adam Britt and Matt Erwin.
James' first head coaching experience came in 2001-2002 as interim head coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. He led the Mocs to an undefeated season in the Southern Conference and a regular-season and tournament SoCon championships in his one-year stint, earning SoCon Coach of the Year honors. He joined the UTC staff as head assistant coach in 2000-01 and helped bring in a Top 20 nationally ranked recruiting class.
Before moving to Chattanooga, James began his coaching career at his alma mater Carson-Newman College, where he was a 1997 All-American and South Regional champion at 149 pounds. He earned his B.A. in history in 1998 and became the C-N graduate assistant under Hall of Fame coach Don Elia. James helped bring in a Top 5 nationally ranked recruiting class among non-NCAA Division I schools, coached seven All-Americans and helped coach two teams that finished in the Top 10 in the NCAA tournament.
James transferred to Carson-Newman for his senior year after starting at the University of Oklahoma for Jack Spates and Mark Manning and helped lead the Sooners to a NCAA Division I Top 10 finish. He began his collegiate career at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kan., where he served as a captain on the 1993-94 NJCAA National Championship team and was national runner-up at 134 pounds.
A native of Oklahoma, James was an All-State wrestler as a senior at Choctaw High School in 1992 for coach Benny Coleman. James list Coleman, Don Elia, Jack Spates, Mark Manning, John Trudgeon, Mark Leen, John Warren, Larry Miller and John Smith as coaches who have influenced his coaching style and contributed to his success.
OVERALL RECORD
18 Seasons: 207-104
UT Chattanooga
2001-02: 9-8 (.529)
Campbellsville University - 226-112 (20 years)
2004-05: 9-4 (.692)
2005-06: 6-5 (.545)
2006-07: 12-10 (.545)
2007-08: 9-8 (.529)
2008-09: 10-8 (.555)
2009-10: 7-7 (.500)
2010-11: 12-4 (.750)
2011-12: 12-4 (.750)
2012-13: 11-3 (.785)
2013-14: 24-7 (.774)
2014-15: 12-4 (.750)
2015-16: 11-4 (.733)
2016-17: 16-7 (.695)
2017-18: 9-8 (.529)
2018-19: 12-9 (.571)
2019-20: 21-2 (.913)
2020-21: 5-2 (.714)
2021-22: 10-7 (.588)
2022-23: 18-9 (.667)
2023-24: 16-4 (.826)
Coaching Awards
2002 NCAA DI Southern Conference Coach of the Year
2010 MSC Coach of the Year
2010 Bobb Bubb Coaching Excellence Award Winner
2011 MSC Coach of the Year
2012 MSC Coach of the Year
2012 East Region Coach of the Year
