Edward Franz

Bio

Edward Patrick Franz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on 4 July 1938. He earned his B.S. and M.A. in Physical Education and Educational Administration at Washington University, St. Louis, MO. He did further graduate studies in Human Behavior at United States International University, San Diego, CA.

While on the gymnastics coaching staff at Washington University in 1965, Ed was the Meet Director of the First National Invitational Gymnastics Competition for Women.

Ed was appointed Assistant Professor in Physical Education at San Diego State College in the Fall of 1965. His teaching responsibilities focused on gymnastics and strength training. Courses taught included: Basic Movement Skills, Weight Training, Musculo-skeletal Fitness, Gymnastics, Advanced Teaching Methods of Gymnastics, and Coaching Competitive Gymnastics. He was Head Gymnastics Coach for Men from 1965 to 1980, and Head Gymnastics Coach for Women from 1965 to 1985. In addition, he taught Extended Studies Courses at San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of California San Diego. Ed served as Undergraduate Advisor in Exercise and Nutritional Sciences (ENS) from 2003 to 2006. He retired as Associate Professor in ENS in 2008 and has since volunteered as a strength coach for the Department of Athletics

Ed published two handbooks on weight training and contributed a chapter in a book on gymnastics. He was a member of many professional associations at both the local and national levels. He was an organizer and/or instructor of workshops for numerous local schools and state and national organizations. In addition, Ed served on national gymnastics committees and ran certification courses for coaches and others. He has a long and active interest in Falconry.

Ed was committed to university and community service. In 1965 he founded and was Director of the SDSU Aztec Gymnastics Program. This was an auxiliary community program provided on the SDSU campus and continued until 2006. The membership over several decades was about 300 with participants aged 4-18 years. Ed had direct responsibility for classes of boys and girls of all ages and levels, directing USA Gymnastics competitive programs and hosting gymnastic competitions from regional to national level events, including the annual Holiday Classic. The latter was one of the premier national events attracting as many as 600 contestants in the 3-day competition. The Aztec Gymnastics Program hosted five Championship events each year. The Program also provided a population for special studies, theses and projects by students and faculty at SDSU. The Student Nutrition Organization was actively involved in nutrition education for gymnasts and parents. The program was managed by the SDSU Foundation and the program contributed annually to the operating budget of Physical Education and ENS.

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