THANK YOU COACH - Powell gives powerful tribute to late Stephen Francis

As Jamaica bid farewell yesterday to one of its most celebrated track and field coaches at the National Indoor Sports Centre, tributes from those whose lives he touched came in waves of love and respect.

Family, friends and former athletes gathered at the thanksgiving service for Stephen ‘Franno’ Francis to pay their final respects.

Francis, founder of the MVP Track Club, passed away on July 4, 2026, just one day after his 64th birthday.

The service was attended by family members, friends, colleagues, athletes and political figures, all paying tribute to one of Jamaica’s most influential coaches.

The tributes highlighted not only his achievements on the track, but also his commitment to athlete development, his unwavering character and his decades of service to Jamaica.

NO ORDINARY MAN

Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport, remembered Francis as “no ordinary man” and hailed the veteran coach as a figure who redefined excellence in track and field.

“We’re here to celebrate. We’re not here to mourn. We have come here fittingly to the National Indoor Sports Centre for the thanksgiving service for the life of coach Vincent Stephen ‘Franno’ Francis,” Grange said.

“We say farewell to a man whose mind power gave him the ability and focus to shape actions, feelings, and results. He possessed an extraordinary vision backed up by a fixity of purpose and complete confidence that what he was doing would bring the results that he envisioned,” she continued.

“He was no ordinary man. Franno was no ordinary man. In fact, he was among the most brilliant Jamaicans in any field.”

Perhaps the most emotional tribute came from former world record holder Asafa Powell, who broke down in tears during his address and needed the assistance of former women’s 100m hurdles world champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton to complete it.

Powell described Francis as more than a coach, calling him a role model throughout his years under his tutelage.

THE LITTLE COUNTRY BOY

Powell recalled how their relationship began after what seemed a major setback, when he false-started in the boys’ 100m final at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships in 2001.

“Today, I’m not here as a former world record holder or an Olympian. I’m standing here as that little country boy whose life was changed by one man. In 2001, at the Boys and Girls’ Championships, I false-started in the finals and was disqualified,” Powell remembered.

“I went back to my high school with no idea what the future would be. Then one day, Paul Francis showed up at my school.”

Powell said conversations with Stephen Francis and his brother, Paul Francis, eventually led him to attend the University of Technology and train under Francis’ guidance.

He spoke about the coach’s unwavering discipline during training sessions, but also shared stories of their daily trips to top up Francis’ Proton Saga with transmission oil.

Powell said those memories made Francis much more than a coach, but also a father figure.

“What kept me there wasn’t the building. It was the family coach created. It was being around athletes chasing one dream, who believed in the impossible,” Powell said.

“Coach became more than just a coach, he was another father. I remember his old Proton Saga leaking transmission oil and I always think I’m a mechanic so on a daily basis, I would take it to top up the transmission oil for him,” he continued.

“It seemed like a small thing back then but now, it feels priceless. He invested in every part of us.”

Powell added, “I remember one day, he said, ‘You’re going to break the world record’ and I laughed. Honestly, I thought he believed in me more than I believed in myself. Years later, when I broke the world record in Athens, I remembered that conversation.”

Foster-Hylton, reading from Powell’s speech while he composed himself, ended the tribute with a heartfelt thank you to Francis for his years of dedication.

“Everything I became started with one man who saw something in a young country boy before anyone else did. Coach, thank you for every lesson, every sacrifice, every laugh, every opportunity.

“You didn’t just change my life. You changed countless lives. You changed Jamaican track and field and your legacy will continue to inspire long after all of us are gone.”

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com