Story Courtesy: Justin Johnson, Assistant Sports Information Director
Franklin College director of athletics Lance Marshall has announced the appointment Ashley Lynn Blanch as the new Head Women’s Basketball Coach. Blanch recently served as the Associate Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Hanover College.
“We are excited to welcome Coach Ashley Blanch to Franklin College as our new Head Women’s Basketball Coach. Her energy, passion for student-athlete development, and commitment to excellence stood out throughout the search process. We look forward to the impact she’ll make on and off the court.”
Blanch comes to Franklin after four successful years at Hanover College (2021–2025), where she served as Associate Head Women’s Basketball Coach. While at Hanover, she coached 18 All-Conference honorees, including a Player of the Year, a Newcomer of the Year, and an All-American.
Prior to her time at Hanover, Blanch was the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Mansfield University (2019–2021), where she designed and ran all practices during the COVID-impacted seasons, led postseason workouts, and served as the recruiting coordinator.
Blanch began her coaching career at Anderson University (2017–2019) as a Graduate Assistant. In recognition of her work, Blanch was named a 2025 WBCA Thirty Under 30 honoree, highlighting her as one of the most promising young coaches in women’s basketball.
Blanch holds a master’s degree in business administration from Anderson University and a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from Defiance College.
“I am excited and honored to be the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Franklin! I am very thankful to the Director of Athletics, Lance Marshall, and the search committee for believing in me and my vision to lead the Women’s Basketball Program. I look forward getting started with this team and developing relationships with them as well as everyone that is a part of the Grizzly Women’s Basketball family. We will work to build a strong culture that will lead to success in the classroom, in the community, and on the court!”
Blanch officially begins her duties on June 10 and will immediately start preparations for the upcoming 2025–2026 season.
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