ROLLA, Mo. - Missouri S&T Men's Basketball has welcomed Donovan Franklin to its coaching staff as an assistant coach under Head Coach Bill Walker for the 2026-27 season.
Franklin joins the Miners with coaching and playing experience at the high school, collegiate and professional levels.

Franklin spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at McKendree University. During his second season, he helped guide the Bearcats to a 22-8 record, the best season in program history at the NCAA Division II level. McKendree also earned its sixth consecutive appearance in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship Tournament.

Before entering the coaching profession, Franklin played professionally overseas with Killester Basketball Club in Ireland's Men's Super League and spent two seasons with the St. Louis Spirits of the American Basketball Association.

Franklin played collegiately at Pittsburg State University, where he reached the 1,000-point milestone. As a senior in 2018-19, he averaged 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. He earned Third Team All-MIAA honors in 2019 after receiving honorable mention recognition in 2018.

Before Pitt State, Franklin played one season at Indiana State University and began his collegiate career at Gulf Coast State College. At Gulf Coast, he led the team in scoring at 14.9 points per game and recorded a 40-point performance against Northwest Florida State College.

A native of O'Fallon, Illinois, Franklin is the all-time leading scorer at O'Fallon High School with 1,616 career points. As a senior, he averaged 21.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and earned First Team All-Area honors from the Belleville News-Democrat.

Franklin began his coaching career in 2020 and spent three seasons coaching seventh- and eighth-grade girls' basketball at Grant Middle School in Fairview Heights, Illinois. He later served as an assistant coach at Bayless High School during the 2023-24 season.

Franklin earned his bachelor's degree from Pittsburg State University in 2019 and his master's degree from McKendree University.

"I am very humbled and excited to be a part of Coach Walkers' elite program and staff. He is a proven and accomplished head coach. I look forward to being a sponge, learning, and growing as an assistant coach, and adding in any way to help him continue to build and win in his Missouri S&T program," says Franklin.

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