Plemmons Resigns As Franklin Basketball Coach

Plemmons resigns from Franklin
by APEARSON@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
published April 8, 2008 12:17 am

FRANKLIN — Robert Browning sat across from Doug Plemmons last year at Franklin, interviewing for much more than an assistant coaching position.
Plemmons made good on a promise Monday by resigning as the Panthers’ boys basketball coach and handing the title to Browning.
The timing might seem peculiar — Plemmons shared the Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award this past season with Roberson’s Kevin Keen. But Plemmons, a veteran of 25 years (15 at Franklin), had a plan when he brought in Browning.
“This is something I’ve thought about for a few years now,” said Plemmons, who will remain Franklin’s athletic director.
“I wanted to wait until the correct time, and this is it. I feel proud of the progress we made this year, and it was a good, solid year for our nine seniors.”
The Panthers won just five games in the 2006-07 season but improved to 12-12 this winter.
Plemmons has accumulated 456 career wins, 10 regular-season conference championships, five conference tournament titles and three sectional championships. His teams advanced to a regional championship twice and qualified for the state playoffs in all but four seasons.
Browning’s coaching career began in 1992.
He has head coaching experience at North Carolina and West Virginia high schools and was most recently Greene Central’s coach from 2005-07. In his final year there, Browning, 41, was named the Eastern Plains Conference Coach of the Year.
“I’m thankful for this opportunity,” Browning said. “Since I’ve gotten to Franklin, I’ve been amazed at how respectful the kids are. The standards for athletics and teaching are high.
“We’ll have to start from scratch next year since not a lot of our players are going to have experience. We’ll really have to be a team that plays as one. And to me, that’s what coach Plemmons taught so well here.”