Bobby Francis
Bobby Francis | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada | December 5, 1958||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
Weight | 174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb) | ||
Position | Centre | ||
Shot | Right | ||
Played for |
NHL Detroit Red Wings IHL Muskegon Mohawks Salt Lake Golden Eagles CHL Birmingham Bulls Oklahoma City Stars Colorado Flames AHL Adirondack Red Wings | ||
NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
Playing career | 1980–1987 |
Robert Emile Francis (born December 5, 1958) is a Canadian-born American former professional ice hockey player and coach. He was the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL) from June 1999 to February 2004. In 2002 Francis became the first Coyotes' coach to win the Jack Adams Award. He is the son of former NHL general manager and coach Emile Francis.
Coaching career[]
Francis served as a player-coach with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the International Hockey League (IHL) in 1986, followed by four years as head coach of the IHL's Utah Grizzlies.[1] After head coaching stints in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Saint John Flames and Providence Bruins, Francis spent two years at the NHL level as an assistant coach to Pat Burns of the Boston Bruins before being hired by the Phoenix Coyotes in 1999.[1] In 2002, after leading the Coyotes to a 40-27-9-6 record, and the most points in the league following that year's Olympic break, Francis was awarded the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year.[2] Midway through his fifth season at the helm of the Coyotes in 2004, Francis was fired after a slow start and replaced by assistant coach Rick Bowness.[3]
On April 26, 2006, Francis signed a two year-contract to coach HIFK in the Finnish SM-liiga. On December 19, 2006, Francis's contract was terminated.[4]
Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Division rank | W | L | Result | ||
PHX | 1999–2000 | 82 | 39 | 31 | 8 | 4 | 90 | 3rd in Pacific | 1 | 4 | Lost in first round |
PHX | 2000–01 | 82 | 35 | 27 | 17 | 3 | 90 | 4th in Pacific | - | - | Missed Playoffs |
PHX | 2001–02 | 82 | 40 | 27 | 9 | 6 | 95 | 2nd in Pacific | 1- | 4 | Lost in first round |
PHX | 2002–03 | 82 | 31 | 35 | 11 | 5 | 78 | 4th in Pacific | - | - | Missed Playoffs |
PHX | 2003–04 | 62 | 20 | 24 | 15 | 3 | (68) | 5th in Pacific | - | - | (fired) |
Total | 390 | 165 | 144 | 60 | 21 |
Personal[]
Although he was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, he spent much of his youth growing up in Long Beach, New York, while his father was coaching the New York Rangers, and holds both Canadian and American citizenship. In September 2012, it was revealed that Francis had lost his balance and equilibrium and required a walker to get around.[5] The symptoms began showing during the 2003–04 NHL season. Francis also revealed his struggle with alcoholism, which played a key factor in his dismissal from HIFK.[5]
References[]
- ^ a b "Francis Is Coyotes New Coach". CBS News. June 16, 1999. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Jose Theodore named NHL MVP | CBC Sports". CBC. CBC News. June 27, 2002. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ Garay, Anabelle (February 24, 2004). "Phoenix Coyotes Fire Bob Francis As Coach (washingtonpost.com)". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2006.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ a b Bickley, Dan (September 28, 2012). "Ex-coach Bob Francis now fighting for quality of life". USA Today. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
External links[]
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- 1958 births
- Living people
- Adirondack Red Wings players
- American men's ice hockey centers
- American ice hockey coaches
- Arizona Coyotes coaches
- Birmingham Bulls (CHL) players
- Boston Bruins coaches
- Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
- Canadian ice hockey centres
- Canadian ice hockey coaches
- Colorado Flames players
- Detroit Red Wings players
- Ice hockey coaches from New York (state)
- Ice hockey people from Saskatchewan
- Jack Adams Award winners
- Muskegon Mohawks players
- New Hampshire Wildcats men's ice hockey players
- Oklahoma City Stars players
- People from Long Beach, New York
- Sportspeople from North Battleford
- Providence Bruins coaches
- Salt Lake Golden Eagles (IHL) players
- Undrafted National Hockey League players
- Ice hockey players from New York (state)
- American ice hockey center stubs
- American ice hockey biography stubs
- Canadian ice hockey centre, 1950s births stubs
- Canadian ice hockey coach stubs