Hall of Fame
Francis Rohlman, Class of 1974, won eight athletic letters in an era at Coe when championships were commonplace and Coe teams generated national attention. This was the time of Marcus Jackson and the Jackson Five in basketball, and the beginning of a long string of track championships that began under Coach Wayne Phillips. Track was Fran's most notable sport. Four times he won the Midwest Conference high jump championship, with three of the victories coming at outdoor meets and one at the Conference indoor meet. He holds the indoor high jump recorded of six feet nine inches. He was a member of the Conference championship mile relay team, and in his junior year was elected MVP of the track team. In basketball, he played three years on a team that won 56 and lost only 14. The 1972-73 team won the Midwest Conference championship with a 14-0 record. That team was NCAA College Division Midwest Regional Champion and it qualified for the National Tournament. In the year following, Coe qualified for a second NCAA Regional Tournament as an at-large team. Fran won the Dick Case Hustle Award for his hard work at practice and in the games. He was chosen to the All Tournament Team at the Chicago State Holiday Tournament. After graduation from Coe, he continued sports participation in AAU basketball and was chosen to the All Tournament Team one year in the Iowa State Softball Tournament. Fran Rohlman's career exhibits three of the ideals of Coe sports. First, he was an outstanding undergraduate competitor. Second, he continued sports participation after graduation. Third, he forged a successful career in business at Northwestern Bell Telephone and AT&T. For these reasons, it is appropriate that Fran Rohlman's name be placed on the roster of outstanding Coe athletes in the Kohawk Athletic Hall of Fame.
