Frank Faulkinberry

Frank Albert Faulkinberry (November 27, 1887 – May 13, 1933) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the father of football coach Russ Faulkinberry.

Frank Faulkinberry

Biographical details
Born	(1887-11-27)November 27, 1887 Fayetteville, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	May 13, 1933(1933-05-13) (aged 45) Tennessee, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1907–1910	Sewanee
Baseball
1911	Cleveland Counts
1912	Evansville Yankees
1913	Evansville River Rats
Position(s)	Tackle (football) Catcher (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1926–1932	Middle Tennessee
Basketball
1926–1933	Middle Tennessee
Baseball
1927–1932	Middle Tennessee
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1926–1933	Middle Tennessee
Head coaching record
Overall	33–26–4 (college football) 45–38 (college basketball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
AAU Women's Basketball (1929)
Awards
4× All-Southern (1907, 1908, 1909, 1910) Sewanee Athletics Hall of Fame

Early years

Faulkinberry was born on November 27, 1887, in Lincoln County, Tennessee, to Christopher Columbus Faulkinberry and Sarah Ellen Caple.

College athletics

Faulkinberry was a tackle on the Sewanee Tigers, thrice selected All-Southern.^[1] His play was once called "a thing to marvel at."^[2] He is a tackle on Sewanee's all-time second team.^[3] He was nominated though not selected for an Associated Press All-Time Southeast 1869-1919 era team.^[4] As a player, he stood some 6'4", 198 pounds. At Sewanee he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. Faulkinberry is a member of both the Sewanee Athletics Hall of Fame^[5] and the Blue Raiders Hall of Fame, having coached for years the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in both men and women's sports.^[3] He was also a Latin professor. Faulkinberry Drive on the Middle Tennessee State campus is named in his honor. Faulkinberry was inducted into the Sewanee Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.^[6]

Professional baseball

For a few years he was a catcher in Minor League Baseball.^[7]

Coaching career

Faulkinberry began his coaching career at Morgan School, Butler School, and Brandon Training School before moving to Franklin Country High School in Decherd, Tennessee, where he coached football and baseball. In May 1926, he was hired as the athletic director and head coach at Middle Tennessee State Teachers College—now known as Middle Tennessee State University—in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.^[8]

Death

Faulkinberry was found shot to death in the garage of his home on May 13, 1933. It was a suspected suicide.^[9][10]

Head coaching record

College football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Middle Tennessee State Teachers (Independent) (1926–1931)
1926	Middle Tennessee State Teachers	4–2–1
1927	Middle Tennessee State Teachers	6–2
1928	Middle Tennessee State Teachers	2–4–1
1929	Middle Tennessee State Teachers	6–3–1
1930	Middle Tennessee State Teachers	5–5–1
1931	Middle Tennessee State Teachers	6–4
Middle Tennessee State Teachers (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1932)
1932	Middle Tennessee State Teachers	4–6	2–3	18th
Middle Tennessee State Teachers:		33–26–4	2–3
Total:		33–26–4