Kelsey Franks - Staff Directory

Kelsey Franks

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
Phone:
609-513-4811

Kelsey Franks is in her fourth season as Associate Head Coach for the Owls, having returned to her alma mater in 2023. In addition to coaching the entire squad, with a particular emphasis on the Second Varsity 8+, Franks serves as the program's Recruiting Coordinator and Coxswain Development Coach.

Since returning to Temple, Franks has helped lead the team to historic performances. In her first season as Associate Head Coach (2023–24), Franks helped Temple capture the Head of the Schuylkill Team Points trophy, highlighted by runner-up finishes in both the Varsity 8+ and Second Varsity 8+. That spring, she coached the Varsity 8+ and Second Varsity 8+ to Temple’s first Kelly Cup victory in 18 years. Both crews also won the Kerr Cup championship, marking the program’s first Kerr Cup victory since 2016, when Franks herself was in the coxswain seat hoisting the trophy.

In her second season (2024–25), Franks guided the Second Varsity 8+ to a bronze medal at the Dad Vail Regatta. In 2025–26, she coached the Second Varsity 8+ to a Dad Vail Championship, helping Temple secure the Women’s Team Points Trophy. The Owls also reclaimed the Kelly Cup. That season, Temple’s Varsity 8+ earned a historic silver medal at the inaugural Mid-American Conference Championships, while the Second Varsity 8+ took bronze. This was the first time since 1998 that both the Varsity 8+ and Second Varsity 8+ medaled at the conference championship.

Beyond her collegiate coaching responsibilities, Franks is recognized as one of the country’s leading coxswain development coaches and is a professional speaker and coaching educator. She travels to educate rowing coaches of all levels on how to effectively teach, develop, and evaluate their coxswains. Her work also extends beyond rowing, presenting to coaches across sports on how to naturally incorporate data into everyday coaching, athlete development, and performance. Franks has presented at the Conference for Rowing Coaches, Philadelphia Coaches Conference, and more.

A 2016 Temple graduate, Franks was a four-year Varsity 8+ coxswain, spending her collegiate career under Head Coach Rebecca Grzybowski. The pair was a collaborative coach-and-coxswain duo, leading Temple to historic finishes, culminating in a third-place team finish at the 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship, the highest in program history. Franks earned a bronze medal in the Varsity 8+, All-Conference Second Team honors, and helped her crew secure two Conference Boat of the Week awards that season.
Prior to returning to Temple, Franks served as Head Coach of La Salle Women's Rowing from 2021-2023, leading the Explorers to some of the most successful performances in program history. In just two seasons, she guided La Salle to its highest Atlantic 10 Conference team finish since 1998, including the program’s first-ever Varsity 8+ Grand Final appearance and the first time all four boats advanced to conference Grand Finals in the same year. Under her leadership, the Explorers also achieved historic finishes at the Head of the Charles, Murphy Cup, and Kerr Cup, along with gold medals at Navy Day and the Head of the Schuylkill.

Franks began her coaching career as the head rowing coach at Tampa Preparatory School, where she led the team to four Florida State Championships in the Men’s Varsity 4+, Women’s Lightweight 1x, Men’s Freshmen 4+, and Women’s Freshmen 4+. She then moved to the role of consulting rowing director from 2018-2021, guiding all major operational and budgetary changes.

While a student-athlete at Temple, Franks was also a member of Vesper Boat Club, working with the entire U23 Heavyweight Women’s Program as coxswain, winning the 2014 US Rowing National Championship in the Women’s Senior 8+, as well as the Women’s Team Title, and Overall Team Title.

A standout student who completed her Bachelor’s degree in English with a Criminal Justice Minor, Franks was also a multi-year fellow from the College Rowing Coaches Association. Franks also earned her Master’s degree in Communication Management with a focus in Conflict Resolution from Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication.

Franks is an alum of Mainland Regional High School (Class of 2012) in South Jersey, and was coached by Jeff Garbutt, a Temple Men’s Crew alum. With Franks as coxswain and Garbutt as coach, their Women’s Senior 4+ gained national attention during a season-long win streak, taking home the 2012 New Jersey State Championship and Philadelphia City Championship -- the streak only being broken by a second-place finish at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta and runner-up at the SRAA National Championship.

Franks lives in the Roxborough area of Philadelphia with her husband Tom (Temple Men’s Crew Alum, ‘16), and their two cats.