Lance Marshall, Director of Athletics
Email: lmarshall@franklincollege.edu
Lance Marshall was named the head coach of the Franklin College baseball program in August 1997 and was named Director of Athletics in August 2023.Â
During his tenure at Franklin, Marshall has guided the Grizzlies to five Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season championships, plus a pair of conference tournament titles and subsequent berths in the NCAA Division III Championship tournament. In 25 seasons leading the Grizzlies, he has compiled a 614-402 record.
His previous college baseball coaching experience includes assistant coach positions at two NCAA Division III schools in Illinois, Elmhurst and Rockford colleges. At Elmhurst, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1993, Marshall guided the pitchers and catchers, directed the fall baseball program and was involved in recruiting and fund raising from 1995 to 1997. Moreover, Elmhurst captured the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship in 1997 while Marshall was coaching there.
Marshall was assistant at Rockford while working on his master’s degree in secondary education, which he received in 1995. Marshall served as an assistant football coach at Elmhurst, coaching tight ends, in ’95. Additionally, he was the manager of operations at the Chicago White Sox Training Centers after serving as instructor and regional director. He also served as an associate scout for the Houston Astros from 1995 to 1998.
Angie Bain, Associate Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator
Email:Â abain@franklincollege.edu
Angie Bain was been appointed as the new head softball coach at Franklin College on Sept. 14, 2020 and assumed the role of Associate Director of Athletics & Senior Woman Administrator in August 2023.
Bain joined the Grizzlies after a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Butler University, where she worked primarily with the outfielders on-field and assisted with all facets of the program off the diamond.
In the three seasons since she took the reins of the program, Bain has guided Franklin to a 73-48 record with two trips to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament semifinals and a program-record 31 wins during the 2023 season. Bain has helped guide 20 Grizzlies to all-conference honors and a pair of AFCA All-Region selections in Molly Wallace (1st team, 2022) and Natalie Weber (3rd team, 2021).
Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Bain was a four-year letter-winner at Valparaiso University, where she holds the program record for career at-bats (704) and ranks second in games played (233). She helped the Crusaders win back-to-back Horizon League Tournaments in 2012 and 2013, picking up tournament MVP honors in 2012 and All-Tournament Team honors in both championship seasons. Additionally, she was selected to the 2011 Horizon League All-Newcomer Team.
Off the field, she was a three-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar Athlete and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Mathematics from Valpo in 2014. She would later add a Master of Arts in Counseling from UNC Charlotte in 2018.
Bain got her start in coaching as the head coach of the Fort Wayne Cougar softball travel team from 2010-13. After graduation from Valpo, she was named the head varsity softball coach at Concordia Lutheran HS from 2014-15 before heading east to pursue her master's degree.
Chris Hamilton, Assistant Director of Athletics
Email: chamilton@franklincollege.edu
Chris Hamilton was announced as the new head coach of the men's basketball program on Apr. 27, 2022. A veteran at the Division III level as both a coach and a player, Hamilton comes to Franklin following a four-year tenure at Nebraska Wesleyan University as an assistant coach.Â
Hamilton began his college basketball career at Division III powerhouse Randolph-Macon College, first as a player from 2011-15 and then as an assistant coach from 2016-18. During his time on the Yellow Jackets' coaching staff, he helped guide the team to two conference regular season championships with two teams that ranked in the top-10 nationally in scoring defense.
Ryan Thomas, Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications
Email: rthomas@franklincollege.edu
Ryan Thomas joined the Franklin College staff as Sports Information Director in July 2017. He oversees all aspects of franklingrizzlies.com and is the primary contact for all 21 athletic teams.
Prior to joining the Grizzlies, he served as the Assistant Sports Information Director at the University of Indianapolis where he was the primary contact for women's basketball, men's and women's soccer and baseball. Before coming to the Hoosier State, Thomas spent four years at Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa, starting as assistant SID before being promoted to head SID in 2013.
Ryan is a two-time graduate of Western Illinois University, where he holds a Master's of Science in Sport Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting.Â
