Former Tyler Lee Coach Mike Owens To Be Hired At Frankston

Mike Owens is back in East Texas, expected to be introduced as Frankston's new athletic director and head football coach Wednesday, according to a report from the Palestine Herald-Press.

Owens, who has been out of coaching for the last four seasons, enjoyed big success at his previous stop -- Tyler Lee, where he became the Red Raiders' all-time winningest coach and won the school's only football state championship.

He will replace Matt Nally, who resigned after three seasons to take an assistant coaching job at Melissa.

In 1996, Owens took over a Tyler Lee program that made just four trips to the playoffs since its inception in 1958. But during Owens' tenure, the Red Raiders reached the postseason 13 of 15 seasons. He compiled a 111-69 record at Lee.

His crowning achievement as a head coach came in 2004 when he led Tyler Lee to the Class 5A Division I state championship with a 28-21 win over Spring Westfield at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Owens is a Port Arthur native where he coached at Jefferson High School before moving to Tyler.

Frankston was 12-19 under Nally, and finished the 2014 season with a 4-6 record. The Indians will bring a pair of big-time weapons in the passing game with receivers Kendrick Rogers (10 FBS offers) and Justice Bean, who both eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau a season ago.

The Indians compete in the ultra-competitive District 8-3A Division II, which also features defending state champion Waskom, Arp, Elysian Fields, New Diana, Troup, West Rusk, and Winona.