Franklin names former Gallatin assistant Josh Adkins as head football coach

Franklin High School announced the hire of former Gallatin assistant Josh Adkins as its new head football coach on Wednesday.

Adkins will be taking over for interim head coach Donnie Webb, who took the helm last season following the dismissal of Alex Melton in early October. The Admirals were in the midst of a 21-game losing streak at the time of Melton's firing. Webb led the team to wins in two of its final three contests to finish 2-8.

Adkins comes to Franklin after five seasons as a defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator at Gallatin. The Green Wave went 7-4 last season, falling to Class 6A state runner-up Oakland in the first round of the playoffs. He was also Gallatin's head wrestling coach.

"We are excited to bring Josh to Franklin," Franklin athletic director Jay Johnson said in a news release. "We feel he is one of the best young coaches in the mid-state and brings an enthusiasm that we feel will carry over to our players. He is a very hard worker and is always working to find some way to make his team better."

Previously, Adkins spent two seasons at Stratford as a co-offensive coordinator as well as stints at the collegiate level on the staffs at Middle Tennessee, McNeese State, and Florida Tech.

"We really liked the energy and excitement we thought Josh could bring to our program," Franklin principal Dr. Shane Pantall said in the release. "We look forward to him leading and growing our student-athletes." 

Outside of football, Adkins served in the U.S. Army infantry from 2010-2014, including a deployment to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Adkins' wife, Jennifer Phillips Adkins, is a 2007 graduate of Franklin High.