[1] Franks served as the head football coach at Duke University from 1999 to 2003, compiling a record of 7–45.
He served as Spurrier's running backs coach with the United States Football League's Tampa Bay Bandits in 1985, at Duke from 1987 to 1989 and at the University of Florida from 1990 to 1992 and again from 1995 to 1998, serving as the position coach for future National Football League Pro Bowler Fred Taylor.
[7] Appointed as head coach on his 38th birthday, he was dismissed five years later after amassing a 7–45 record, including 0–11 seasons in 2000 and 2001.
[10] He was the Bulls' interim head coach for six days in January 2010, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the program, between the firing of Jim Leavitt and the hiring of Skip Holtz.
[11][12] After Holtz's firing in December 2012,[13] new head coach Willie Taggart did not retain Franks on his staff.