The Coaches' Page

  Jerry Mullen spent 22 years as a highly successful head coach in Kansas high schools and junior colleges. His teams won or tied for six conference championships in high school and they won three conference titles in junior college. Mullen's teams were characterized by their defensive intensity and enthusiasm.

Recognized for his dedication and years of service to junior college basketball Jerry was honored by being inducted into the Barton County Community College KS sports hall of fame in 2000. He was head coach of the men’s basketball program at Barton from 1979-1985 compiling a 121-64 record including two conference championships. In 2003, Jerry was inducted into the Cowley County Community College KS sports hall of fame as he compiled a 107-67 (.615) record in six seasons. Cowley was nationally ranked during his final two seasons in which the Tigers went 24-6 (1977-78) and 25-5 (1978-79) including a conference championship in ’77-78.

Mullen’s expertise in evaluating prospective players has earned him his 21st successful year with his ever-expanding scouting service to which over 350 four-year colleges and universities subscribe.

Tony Jiminez, writer for Basketball Times has this to say about Jerry. “If Jerry Mullen got a buck for every juco game he has seen in the past two decades as the nation's foremost talent scout of two-year school players - and it's safe to say he's seen thousands of games over the years in just about every venue imaginable around the county - he would be pretty well off.”

   Franz has spent 16 years in College administration, athletics and coaching.  He has been an assistant men's basketball coach at Sheridan JC in Wyoming, the University of California-Davis, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and the University of Tulsa and has spent the last 12 years as the AD and VP for Student Services at Otero JC.
     His first 5 years at OJC were as the head men's basketball coach and AD.  Franz has been associated with Jerry Mullen since the lat 80's as an assistant coach when his teams attended the prestigious Mullen's camp and has directed the camp in Tulsa for Mullen since 1996. 
     Franz was the Rattler Men's Basketball Coach from 1991-96.  Franz recruited 23 players who later played for NCAA Division I teams including 7 in one year.  Eleven players off of the 93-94 team went NCAA Division I.  The Rattlers were 88-56 during Franz's five years making him OJC's career win leader.  Under Franz, the Rattlers also had one NBA player, Darvin Ham, who played for the Rattlers in 1991-92 and is now with the Atlanta Hawks.

Cameron Belden