Frank Gansz Jr. wanted to be in the Marines, having played for the Citadel Bulldogs in college. It was only after a failed physical that he sought other options, which eventually brought him to where the family name was built: football. To those in the St. Louis football community, the elder Ganzs was a familiar name. Frank Ganzs Jr. worked relentlessly to uphold that legacy.
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On August 19, however, St. Louis had to bid him a final farewell. Frank Ganzs Jr. passed away aged 64. The news of his death was broken by Northeastern Football head coach Darrin Chiaverini, who worked as an assistant for Ganzs Jr. at UCLA.
“The UFL and St. Louis Battlehawks mourn the passing of Frank Gansz Jr., a second-generation football lifer who carved out his own path as a respected coach, teacher, and mentor,” UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon said in a statement. “Frank was old school in the best sense of the word. … His impact on the UFL, the Battlehawks, and the people around him went far beyond the field. We extend our deepest condolences to the Gansz family and the countless people throughout the football community whose lives he touched during his remarkable coaching career.”
He was most recently the special teams coordinator for the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL, after some stints as an assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oakland Raiders, and the Baltimore Ravens.
He was the son of Frank Gansz Sr., who won a Super Bowl as the special teams coordinator with the St. Louis Rams and led the Kansas City Chiefs as head coach in 1987 and 1988. Frank Jr. was the Chiefs’ special teams coordinator from 2001 to 2006. During these six seasons with the Chiefs, 2003 was his best year, when the team led the league in both punt-return average (16.4) and kick-return average (25.4).
Frank Jr. coached some notable players in his career, like former Chiefs hero Dante Hall, Lawrence Tynes, and Dustin Colquitt. Hall, in particular, had a spectacular time with Frank Jr. as coach. The Human Joystick, as he was called, sensationally weaved through the Denver Broncos before setting off an iconic 93-yard punt return in 2003.
He was hired by former Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil after Frank Jr. caught his eye at Oakland.
“I wanted (Frank Jr.),” Vermeil told The Kansas City Star in 2001. “There won’t ever be another Frank Gansz coaching special teams, OK? We’re very smart to allow Frank Jr. to be Frank Jr. I see the intensity, the voice command, the demanding style, the attention to detail. He’s not the philosopher Frank (Sr.) is or the guy that’s read everything there is about world history, in every world. But he is a chip off the old block.”
That he was. While the elder Ganzs played football for the Navy Midshipmen, Frank Jr. played college ball for The Citadel Bulldogs. They then both became special teams coaches. Frank Jr. coached at SMU, UCLA, Houston, and Pittsburgh as an assistant, and had stints in the XFL and CFL.
Gansz-led special teams excelled in blocking punts and kicks in the NFL, recording four blocked punts from 2001-02 and batted away three field goals in the ’02 and ’03 seasons. He also made good players out of Matt Stover, Gary Stills, and Sam Koch.
Ganzs Jr., as highlighted by the UFL’s statement, was relentless at his job. According to KSDK’s Kasey Richardson, “frequently incorporated historical references into his coaching, drawing connections between football concepts and historic events and figures.” He also served as an inspiration for those who worked with or played for him.
I had the pleasure of playing for Frank in the XFL and working alongside him this year in the UFL,” Colin Thompson, co-offensive coordinator of the Orlando Storm, shared on X. “Huge heart. Big smile. Plenty of information you can…. use! I loved the way he conducted his meetings and told quick and very random inspirational stories to start every meeting. We shared some great stories and laughs … he’ll be missed dearly.”
“Frank was a Good Coach and he always showed Love in how he treated the guys,” former Chiefs player James Dunn wrote on X. “Many of days he gave me a morning meeting pass, saying ‘JD, I don’t need you in the early mornings, only on Friday Nights, you already know what to do.’ Dang. Rest Easy my Brother, Frankie G Jr.”
Frank Ganzs Jr. might not be a familiar name to many today. But those who knew him will feel the sting of his passing.