Dan Sylvester would stay up late talking on calls with coaches when they needed him. His office door was always open for students to come in and ask questions. He and his wife, Reneé, spent every day over the summer getting the new basketball gym ready.
It was all the things people saw that made him loved in Franklin. It was all the things people didn’t see that made athletics run in Franklin.
In June, Sylvester decided to take a step back and leave his full-time position as athletic director. After 13 long years in the role and 25 overall at the school, it was time he gave himself a rest, he said.
“Certainly the workload. One of the other things is, I feel like I’ve done what I can as the athletic director,” Sylvester said, explaining why it was the right time.
The tall, gray-haired “Sly” Sylvester accomplished many long-term goals he set during his tenure.
When he took the helm of athletics, he wanted to turn around Franklin’s sportsmanship reputation. The school won two sportsmanship awards in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Sylvester set out to get the school a new gym and bring varsity sports back in-house. Between fundraising and a grant from the Pat Connaughton Foundation, he made that dream a reality for Golden Tornadoes basketball and volleyball. He was honored by the school with a plaque below one of the scoreboards in that gym in June; across the court, his name still hangs on the 1,000-point scorers banner.
The Danny Sylvester Scoreboard was recently named to honor Sylvester’s dedication to Franklin athletics and education. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Traces of Dan Sylvester remain scattered throughout Franklin High School, even from his time as a student when he surpassed 1000 points. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Franklin’s NHIAA sportsmanship awards were highlights for Sylvester as an athletic director. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor
He also wanted to leave a lasting legacy of sustainability in athletics, so he spearheaded the merger of the football programs at Winnisquam and his school to ensure both schools could keep their programs running.
Former football coach Tim Snow remembered how much those sportsmanship awards meant to Sylvester. When the school received them, he remembered seeing Sylvester glow with pride as they hung on the wall of the new gym.
Sylvester held his students accountable because he cared. As a former student, a parent, educator and the leader of athletics, he knew the district had potential to transform its image.
“He gave them what was expected, and he held them to it and supported them so they could meet those expectations every single day,” Snow said.
It wasn’t easy, Snow explained, but Sly walked the walk and could talk the talk.
Even though Sylvester is stepping down from the full-time role, his heart’s still in it. After being asked to step in to teach one class this past year, he was reminded why he became a teacher in the first place.
He added two more classes to his workload and plans to stay in the district as a part-time teacher for the foreseeable future.
“I’m very excited about staying on board to support, not only being a teacher but be there for the new athletic director,” Sylvester said. “Continue to support sports, especially through this budget issue, unfortunately.”
Replacing him as athletic director is a much bigger task still ahead. The future of athletics as a whole is still complicated for Franklin. The district is currently in a difficult budgetary position, with the school board’s proposed budget exceeding the tax cap by $2.25 million.
According to Superintendent Dan LeGallo, Sylvester was instrumental in keeping things moving along. Through budgetary constraints, disciplinary challenges and a general uphill battle, Sylvester got it done.
For this upcoming year, there is no funding for athletics yet. The proposed budget for athletics for 2026-27 is $255,177 and $24,000 for athletics transportation, out of the total proposed $21.55 million budget. The $24,000 transportation is funded, but the rest is not, as things stand.
The summer is reaching its end, and important deadlines are coming up for the school district. Registration for New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association competition, a sum of $3,800, is due on Saturday, Aug. 1. The school district has been unable to hire a new athletic director because of the budgetary constraints. The football co-op is supposed to start practicing on Aug. 15.
LeGallo explained that, should it become necessary, the district may need to explore alternative ways to support athletics, whether through booster clubs or fundraisers.
There will be a public hearing on the 2027 fiscal year budget at Franklin Elks Lodge,
125 South Main St., on Wednesday, July 29 at 6 p.m.
“We’ll hear from people with Franklin at that point and see what the city decides to do. This situation is fluid at this point,” LeGallo said.
As Sylvester’s induction into the NHIAA Hall of Fame comes up in November, the future of the school’s athletics programs remains in limbo. One thing for certain is that his legacy won’t be forgotten soon by the many coaches, students and colleagues he crossed paths with.