Greg Francis was announced as the University of Alberta Golden Bears basketball head coach in February of 2008, months after 26-year bench boss Don Horwood announced his retirement.  Francis is just the fifth-coach in the program’s 36-year history.

Before joining the U of A’s coaching ranks, Francis played in the NCAA, as well as in the Olympics for Canada.  He also coached throughout Europe, in the NCAA for one-season, and with Canada’s National Junior Team.

The 6’3” Francis played for the Fairfield University Stags in the NCAA, and scored 1,570 career points, which puts him fifth all-time in Stags’ scoring history. He still holds the school record for career three-point field goals made (230) and was inducted into their Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. During his senior season in 1997, Francis and the Stags held a half-time lead over the then #1-ranked North Carolina Tar-Heels during their “Round of 64” game at the annual NCAA basketball championship tournament. The Tar-Heels rebounded to win the game 82-74, but Francis finished with 26 points and eight three-pointers.

He then moved to the British Basketball League and played for the Worthing Bears in 1997-98, and the Chester Jets in 1999-2000, twice being named a UK All-Star. He spent the 1998-99 season playing professionally in Lebanon. After his playing days, Francis was a head coach for a high school in Lebanon and Mid-Cheshire College in England. He then returned to North America as a full-time assistant coach with the Monmouth University Hawks in New Jersey. At Monmouth, Francis helped lead the university into the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Duke in the opening round in 2001.

The 34-year old Toronto native also played for Team Canada, along with Steve Nash and Todd MacCulloch, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, finishing seventh, and at the 2003 Tournament of the Americas where Canada finished fourth.

On top of coaching with the Golden Bears, he is currently an assistant coach with Canada’s Junior Men’s Team.

In his first season running the bench for Alberta, he guided the team to a 10-10 regular season and made the post-season.  They were subsequently swept by the UBC Thunderbirds in two straight games, eliminating them from the national championship tournament.

                                                                   Greg Francis ’ Coaching Record

(2010-11 will be Greg’s 2^nd as Head Coach)