FRANKLIN, Ind. – Franklin College head football coach Alan Hensell has announced the addition of four coaches to his staff, with three Grizzly alumni now part of the staff.
Former offensive lineman Blaine Kowalkowski '16 re-joins the Grizzlies as its new Offensive Line Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. A pair of former standouts on the defensive line at FC will be back on the sideline this year, with Dante Darden '22 taking on the role of Safeties Coach and Dominique Boyd '14 assuming the role of Director of Player Development. New to the Franklin staff is Ethan Lape, who joins as the Grizzlies' new Tight Ends Coach.
"I'm excited to welcome the newest members of our coaching staff, which includes three former all-conferece players here at Franklin," Hensell said. "Each brings a wealth of experience to our coaching staff and will be an asset to our program not only on the field but more importantly, they will be great mentors to our student-athletes off the field."
Kowalkowski comes back to Franklin after spending the 2021 season as part of the staff at Presentation College in Aderbeed, S.D., where he oversaw the team's offensive line. Prior to joining Presentation, he had stints with the University of Minnesota Morris (2019-21), Missouri Valley College (2018-19) and North Carolina Wesleyan (2017-18). The Mrytle Beach, S.C.-native got his start in coaching at his alma mater, overseeing tight ends and fullbacks at Franklin during the 2016 season.
On the field, Kowalkowski was a four-time letter winner from 2012-15 and was a 2015 First Team All-HCAC selection on the offensive line. He earned his degree in exercise science with minors in fitness and coaching from Franklin in the spring of 2016.
Fresh off a four-year tenure at defensive end, Darden will trade in his pads and cleats for a headset this fall. A veteran of 34 career games, Darden was a two-time First Team All-HCAC performer, earning the honor in both the spring and fall of 2021. The Logansport, Ind.-native accumulated 101 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 27 tackles for loss and recovered three fumbles during his career. He graduated this past spring with a degree in political science.
Lape joins the Grizzlies following a playing career at fellow Division III member Wartburg, where he competed in both football and wrestling. A veteran of 28 games on the offensive line, Lape was named First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Region by D3football.com as a senior. Additionally, the West Union, Iowa-native was a 2019 Second Team All-ARC selection and he was a member of the Knights' 2018 Division III national championship wrestling team.
Boyd appeared in 42 games for Franklin from 2010-13, recording 138 career tackles, 16 career sacks, 30.5 tackles for loss and recovered three fumbles. A four-year letter winner for the Grizzlies, Boyd was named First Team All-HCAC in 2012 and 2013 and helped Franklin claim three NCAA playoff wins during his tenure with the program. The Louisville, Ky.-native earned his degree in health sciences from Franklin in 2014.
