By ROBERT CESSNATexas A&M has brushed Dennis Franchione's secret e-mails underneath the rug and put a trophy case over it for all the championship footballs Mike Sherman hopefully will win.
But while it's time for the A&M football program to move on, what has happened isn't going to change or go away. Now it's all about how people will remember Franchione's five years as A&M's football coach, if they will focus on the positive or agonize over the negative.
Franchione wasn't sinister -- actually far from it. He just didn't win enough games.
Franchione weathered a 4-8 transition season to go 7-5 in 2004, earning a trip to the Cotton Bowl. It was the seventh straight coaching stop that Franchione had shown an improvement in his second year.
Several maroon-clad Aggies -- some of them even school officials -- told me that they hated to see former coach R.C. Slocum go, but if A&M had to hire someone to replace him, the man they affectionately called Coach Fran was the answer.
But he wasn't.
For whatever reason, he couldn't build on 2004, slipping to 5-6 in 2005. And he couldn't build on last year's 9-4 season and Holiday Bowl trip, slipping to 7-5.
The possible reasons for why he failed are more plentiful than Top 25 teams suffering upsets this season. But that's another column. This is the holiday season, so let's be of cherry thoughts.
Franchione certainly was accommodating to the media. He understood its purpose. He probably got along better with the press than fans because he was more relaxed, more open, especially after practices.
Franchione didn't come across well in 30-second radio or television spots. He often seemed plastic, a bit stoic. He doesn't have that outgoing personality of Slocum or Mack Brown, people who come across as your dad or grandfather.
Franchione was always more cerebral, but could laugh at himself and was always genuine. He had a personality, and he could be engaging. That was obvious by the way players like Stephen McGee, Kirk Elder, Chris Harrington and others followed him. Young people can see right through a fake.
Franchione had a policy of not talking about injuries unless they were season ending. I didn't like it, but it was his rule. But even he bent his own rules.
Once, quarterback Reggie McNeal got hurt in a game, and it appeared he wouldn't be able to play the next game.
Franchione, who met with the press after practices, was questioned about McNeal's status, but refused to budge. Olin Buchanan, then with the Austin American-Statesman, kept plodding, even getting Franchione to chuckle over a joke.
Finally, Franchione bent the rules, and told the handful of reporters that McNeal had practiced, had thrown the ball without pain, and he would play.
The reporters made a beeline to cellphones and computers.
"That's why I like that guy," Buchanan beamed. "You can talk to him. He listens."
And he did.
Sometimes after fall practices, only two reporters would show up to interview Franchione: Rachel Cohen, who was then with The Dallas Morning News, and myself.
Cohen would ask as many as 10 questions. She's a top-notch reporter, and many days she made my job easier, but I'd always marvel at Franchione's patience as he carefully listened to every question, every day, because I sure didn't.
One time near the end of a session, Cohen asked a long question about fans on the Internet. It ended with, "Do you really think you know more about football than the average fan?"
Franchione flashed a boyish grin, as Cohen realized the question hadn't come out right. She quickly rephrased it, Franchione answered, and we all had a good laugh.
One time during spring practice, he played a practical joke on me. As I entered the practice field, several people told me that Coach Fran was looking for me, and he wasn't in a good mood.
When I went up to him, he blurted out a question and had a terse look.
As I started to stutter out my response, he started laughing. "Come on, Cessna," he said.
He'd got me good. He was pulling my leg, and all the others were in on the joke.
It wasn't always like that.
He also had tense answers, short answers, and there were days he didn't really want to answer, so he didn't.
He was human. He made coaching mistakes. But even the thing that got him in trouble -- e-mailing secret newsletters -- had merit. Other coaches across the country offer inside information over the Internet. Franchione's was just handled incorrectly.
It didn't cost him his job, but it did tarnish his image, and that's too bad. A guy doesn't risk $2 million a year to make an extra $40,000. He truly thought he was providing a service to the program's followers.
Franchione is a big college football fan, which is probably why he'll coach again. He loves the game. He loves Saturday afternoons, but most of all, he loves the players and the chance to lead them to their potential.
No, he wasn't an Aggie, but he embraced the school's traditions. He was into the Spirit Walk before the game. He always talked about handing out Aggie rings at practice. He loved everything about A&M.
And if he had been 42-18 with a Big 12 championship instead of 32-28, he'd still be part of the family.
Former A&M head coach Jackie Sherrill wasn't exactly Mr. Warmth, but when he started beating Texas with regularity, he was the coach the Aggies thought he was when they stole him from Pitt.
Franchione never became the coach Aggies thought they had stolen from Alabama.
He did things in Aggieland worth remembering.
There are the quality student-athletes he recruited and nurtured into outstanding young men.
He also beat Texas twice. At one time, beating Texas was the only game that mattered. And this year's victory validated last year's effort. The Aggies just didn't beat UT on Friday -- A&M dominated, which was impressive, considering the dark cloud hanging over the program.
Franchione didn't get to enjoy that victory Friday night, but there will be many nights when he will. So will other Aggies, especially those who played in it and the record-setting crowd that watched it.
My dad always taught me to treat people the way they treat you, or the way you'd want people to treat you.
Franchione always treated me, and The Eagle, with respect. We had a good professional working relationship. I poked fun at him, criticized him and praised him. But I always tried to be fair. I thought he reciprocated.
I've been covering A&M football games in some capacity since 1974, which spans six coaches. I've always opted to recall the good times.
The class of Emory Bellard dripped with his every drawl and every time he tapped his pipe. He brought winning seasons and bowl games to Aggies who had been reduced to kissing dates on first downs before he arrived.
Tom Wilson was a former quarterback who obliged fans by throwing the football down field on his first play as a head coach. He led the Aggies to two bowl victories and two victories over Texas in three and a half years. He was a proud Texan who was weaned on football.
Sherrill won three championships, owned Texas at the end and made Kyle Field come alive for ESPN night games with the 12th Man Kickoff Team and the 12th Man Towels. Covering Sherrill was like playing chess with a world master. I didn't always win, but I loved the competition.
Slocum was, and still is, as easy to interview as talking to a family friend. He never had a losing season, won four championships, including that 36-33 double overtime victory over Kansas State for the 1998 title that I'll always remember along with the victory over No. 2 Nebraska and No. 1 Oklahoma.
It was great to see all those coaches together earlier this year in Aggie Coaches for Charity in Houston along with Gene Stallings and Jim Myers.
It was an event spearheaded by Franchione, who by the way does a tremendous job with charities. Aggie Coaches for Charity was a great idea, one that should be continued, but someone else might have to ramrod it with Franchione gone.
The first thing that person needs to do is offer an olive branch to Franchione. He's now part of the fraternity of former A&M head coaches. And the sooner he's brought out from underneath the rug and put up on the mantle, the better.
NOTES -- A&M senior center Cody Wallace was named Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year by the Big 12 head coaches Tuesday. Wallace, who shared the honor with Missouri's Adam Spieker, was the Aggies' lone representative on the All-Big 12 first team. A&M fullback Chris Alexander, defensive end Chris Harrington, linebacker Misi Tupe and punter Justin Brantly made the second team. Aggies earning honorable mention All-Big 12 were: defensive end Michael Bennett, tight end Martellus Bennett, defensive tackle Red Bryant, cornerback Marquis Carpenter, offensive tackle Corey Clark, linebacker Mark Dodge, offensive guard Kirk Elder, running back Jorvorskie Lane and quarterback Stephen McGee.
• Robert Cessna's e-mail address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com.
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