Stephen Francis OJ remembered as meticulous coach who built MVP and reshaped Jamaican track

Stephen Francis, OJ, co-founder of the MVP track and field club, is being remembered as one of Jamaica’s most influential figures in athletics, with Kon Raina, assistant group head of sports at the RJR Communications Group, reflecting on his life, legacy, and enduring impact at home and abroad.

Francis helped shape champions and set a demanding standard on the world stage. MVP, he noted, stands for maximum velocity and speed. Raina, himself a former 400-metre runner, said medals and records tell only part of the story. After major championships, Francis often insisted execution could have been sharper and times could have been faster.

Raina pointed to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the 2012 Olympics, when Francis argued that her forward lean cost her a sub-10.7 run. At the 2019 championships in the Middle East, Tajay Gayle had barely qualified for the long jump final before Francis took charge of his warm-up; Raina said Gayle looked like a different athlete afterward and went on to win.

In one of Raina’s final interviews with him, Francis spoke about Kishane Thompson’s training struggles and how a trip to Australia led to equipment that eased pressure on his shins. Francis was also known for his strength in finance. Keisha Nelson once said on social media that she was heading into an economics exam with a D grade before Francis spoke with her for half an hour; she later returned to the park.

Though he loved sport broadly, including horse racing, Francis believed he could do more within athletics. Years ago, while Raina was coaching football at St. George’s College, Francis advised him on how to improve his squad; Raina credited that guidance with three titles in the next four seasons.

Raina placed Francis alongside Bob Kersee and Glen Mills among elite coaches with between 80 and 100 global medals among them. While Kersee’s strengths included the heptathlon and triple jump, and Mills excelled in sprints and hurdles, Francis coached across the long jump, high jump, shot put, and more, including Germaine Mason’s Olympic silver in 2008 while competing for Britain.

Along with Mills, Francis helped show Jamaican athletes they did not have to relocate to the United States to succeed. He also worked with athletes beyond Jamaica, including Barbadian sprinter Sada Williams. Prime Minister Mia Mottley posted a tribute on Facebook.

Raina said Francis was sharp, forthright, and sometimes controversial in interviews, and journalists had to be fully prepared because he would challenge them. His defining approach, however, was scouting athletes who had not yet starred at Boys and Girls’ Championships. At the 2016 Olympics, with university funding tightening, Francis said he might need to reconsider and recruit a few emerging Champs stars, but the MVP team, including Paul Bruce, Adrian Lel, and the late Mr. Noel, had long focused on turning overlooked talent into global performers.

Francis, an Order of Jamaica recipient, leaves what Raina called a void in world athletics, with condolences extended to his family, friends, and the MVP club.