Teams, Scores, & Schedules

David Dawson
Assistant Coach

David Dawson completed his 8^th year as an assistant football coach at FRA and his 12^th year as a high school football coach. Primarily on the defensive side of the ball, David has coached both the defensive line and the inside linebackers.

Coach Dawson is from Franklin, TN, having graduated and been a member of the Battle Ground Academy football, wrestling, and track and field teams. After high school, he attended Carson Newman College (now University) and played defensive tackle for the Eagles for 4 years while completing his undergraduate work. Throughout his football playing career, he has won 3 high school state championships, earning all-district and all-mid-state honors, competed on 3 SAC conference championship teams while at Carson Newman.

David also assists the wrestling program at FRA working as an assistant for the past 3 seasons. Among his coaching duties, he is the director of Student Activities and Resources.

Outside of FRA, he spends every moment he can with his wife, Garrett, and his children, Lanier and Henry.

Ed Sanders
Head Coach

Ed Sanders, a native of Nashville, Tennessee and Maplewood High School, joins the Franklin Road Academy Football program after coaching at Goodpasture, Tennessee State, and Delaware State.

During his time with the TSU Tigers, the defensive unit ranked sixth in pass efficiency in 2014 and as high as fourth in 2013. In 2014, the Tigers held their opponents to an average of 153.3 yards per game through the air, good for fourth in the FCS.

A four-year letter winner at Tennessee State, Ed in his career helped lead the Tigers to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference championships in 1998 and ’99. During the 1999 season, TSU posted an 11-0 regular season record and No. 1 Division I-AA and Black College final regular season national rankings. That season, Sanders was an All-Ohio Valley Conference Second Team selection and All-America candidate. He also earned the Alvin “Cat” Coleman Award as the team’s Most Outstanding Defensive Back. During the 1999 season, Sanders led the team in tackles with 100 which is third-best in TSU history (since 1987). Ed earned a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Tennessee State in 2000.

During DSU’s 2007 MEAC championship season, his unit helped the Hornets earn a No. 9 national ranking in pass efficiency defense with a 105.33 rating. DSU was 13th in the country in scoring defense (18.4 ppg) in 2007. His ’07 secondary also featured All-MEAC First Team selection Akeem Green, among the league leaders in interceptions and defended passes.

In 2002, he was a member of the Canadian Football League Saskatchewan Rough Riders.

Sanders began his coaching career as a graduate assistant (secondary) at Tennessee State University in 2000. He and his wife Wajehah have three daughters, Khalia, Kaden and Tamiah, and two sons, Omarii and Travon.

After TSU Ed became the Head Coach at McKissack middle school. During his tenure the team when 16-0 and were back to back Metro City Champions in 2017 & 2018. Ed then went onto coach at Harding Academy and then moved on to Goodpasture Christian High School. Here he served as the Defensive Coordinator for defense in 2020 and held opponents to 17 points per game. The team went 9-3 on the season and made it all the way to the State Semi-Finals. Right now Ed is the defensive coordinator and also coaches the linebackers. He also serves as a Middle School physical education instructor and will be the head coach of the boys middle school basketball team.

Mark Williams

Assistant Coach

Mark has been married to his wife Candi for 15 years with 2 wonderful boys aged 7 and 3. He originally hails from Albany, GA. He graduated and played football for Georgia Southern University. After 20 years of coaching football Mark knows so much about the game. In his experience he also has coached track.

Mark has previously coached at University of Rhode Island, Georgia Southern University, The Naval Academy Prep School, Woodward Academy, Mountain View HS, Father Ryan High School, Stewarts Creek HS, and Nolensville HS. He is very excited for this new season at FRA. He is currently teaching Geography in the 7th grade here at FRA.

Tyler Parker

Assistant Coach

Tyler is originally from Huntsville, Alabama. He attended Troy University where he played football and studied Comprehensive Science as an undergraduate. Then he earned his Masters Degree from Troy and was a Graduate Assistant for Athletics Administration.

In 2016 Tyler moved to Baton Rouge, and worked at Parkview Baptist School. While at Parkview he taught Physical Science and served as the Middle School Director of Athletics while coaching MS Football, Varsity FB, and Varsity Golf.

Tyler and his wife, Kaitlyn, and are excited to be in Nashville and are pumped to be a part of the FRA family.

Kyle Strazzeri

Assistant Coach

Luke Brown
Assistant Coach

Coach Brown is entering his first season as Head Coach of the Middle School Football Team.

Coach Brown played linebacker at Montgomery Bell Academy where he was a member of one state championship team and two semi-final seasons. Coach Brown was selected 2nd team all-state and also served as a captain his senior season.

The son of a coach, Coach Brown began his coaching career at Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, SC in 2011. After two years with the Cyclones, Coach Brown returned to Nashville where he began coaching defense at Montgomery Bell Academy.

From 2013-2018, Coach Brown served as Athletic Director, Head Football Coach and Head Basketball Coach at St. Paul Christian Academy and was the first ever director of the HVAC Jr. Division.

He is excited to work under the leadership of Coach Whittemore and the Varsity Football staff while leading the Middle School program.

Sam Barrett

Assistant Coach

Sam grew up in Andover, New Hampshire playing football, basketball, and baseball. He continued with these interests during his time as a student at Proctor Academy, graduating in 2014. Sam went on to play football, study Business Management, and attain an MBA degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Last year, he coached defensive backs and wide receivers at his high school alma mater and is extremely excited to be a part of FRA's Varsity and 5th & 6th grade teams this fall. Outside of FRA, Sam enjoys music, exercise, the outdoors, and video games.