Juan Franco easily met the standard set in his sport to qualify for an NJCAA Coaches Legacy Award presented by Nufabrx.

With 341 wins as men's soccer coach at Morton College from 1998 to 2024, Franco met his sport's 300-victory standard to be among the first group of coaches across all sports honored at a luncheon hosted by the NJCAA June 17th in Charlotte. 

However, Franco's legacy goes well beyond a 341-153-41 career record, four trips to nationals, six Region IV titles and five Skyway Conference crowns. Current Morton College athletic director Lee Milano only has been on the job for slightly over a year, but quickly picked up on what makes Franco's program tick.

"He's built an incredible culture among the student-athletes," Milano observed. "You can see from the number of former players who come out to games. Obviously, Juan's had a lot of success on the field, but it all starts with the culture instilled in his program. His players are extremely grateful and respectful."

Numbers across Morton College's social media outlets also reflect the passion for the men's soccer program. When the NJCAA announced the recipients on February 14th, the announcement on Morton College's Facebook page of Franco being an honoree had over 40,000 views. A Facebook post on Franco the day of the ceremony drew 14,000-plus views.

And it's not just the views, but the heartfelt posts on the comments section.

Carlos Jasso, who played on one of Morton College's early club teams, wrote: "Felicidades coach Franco on receiving the NJCAA Coaches Legacy Award, what an incredible and well-deserved honor! It's amazing to look back and remember when we were just starting as Morton College's soccer club in 1994. 

"To see how far the program has come and the national recognition it's earned is truly inspiring. You've built something special, and I'm proud to have been a part from the beginning. Thank you for your leadership, dedication, and impact on all of us."

And that's just one of many tributes from over the years.

Franco, who enters his 28th season this fall, has had only two losing years, the last in 2003. He's also won 10 or more games over the 16 straight seasons. 

"I love soccer," said Franco, who played professionally in his native Mexico. "Soccer is my passion. I do it because it's fun, not work for me. It's joy. I really like helping the kids – it's something that makes me feel good."

When Morton College added men's soccer to its athletic portfolio, the Panthers fielded a club team for two years before transitioning to a college-level program in 1998.

Longtime Morton College employee George Fejt was the coordinator of athletics who hired Franco to start the men's soccer program at the club level. 

"When we were in the process of starting the program, we wanted someone who was an outstanding role model for young people," Fejt recalled. "Juan was someone from the community who wanted to give back. He definitely has a passion for the game and is a great role model."

The first of Franco's four trips to nationals came in 2015 when the Panthers defeated DuPage in Region 4 finals. Morton College received the tournament's Sportsman Award at the Division I nationals, something Franco remembers with great pride.

"All my kids were local players," Franco said. "I was talking to people at the tournament and they asked, 'Where do you recruit your players from?' I told them I recruit from my neighborhood and they were amazed."

Franco now taps into the international market and it has paid dividends. Since 2018, the Panthers are 102-28-7 for a winning percentage of .770. He's also sent a player to the NCAA Division I level the past four years.

The Panthers were 19-3-1 in 2018 and came within 17 seconds of beating Marshalltown to qualify for the Division I tournament. 

Since the NJCAA introduced Division II for men's soccer in 2020, the Panthers have reached nationals three times in five years including a second-place 19-1-1 showing in 2022. Morton College also has been nationally ranked 41 times since the inception of Division II.

Another point of pride for Franco is in helping start the women's soccer program at Morton College. For five years from 2015 to 2019, Franco coached both the men's and women's teams. His 11-win team on the women's side in 2019 still is a program record.  

"Coaching isn't easy," Franco said. "I've tried my best. But when you accomplish something that's difficult, it feels good."

Franco considers the Legacy Award as a great honor. While his name was on the plaque, Franco knows it's a program accomplishment and not personal.

"This was a great honor and experience," Franco said, "While they gave me this award, it's not about me. It's my assistants for all the hard work they do. It's my players who put in the effort. It's about all the past teams and the school for supporting the program."

Franco also credited his wife, Alma, of 43 years; and their two children, Alex and Lilly, who grew around the program and later became played and coached at Morton College. He acknowledged longtime assistant coaches Pedro Guardian, Oscar Carreon and Manny Gomez.

"I've had a very good support system all these years," Franco said. "This award is for all these people."