Grange: Government scholarship to honour legendary coach Stephen Francis

The announcement was made on Saturday by the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, during a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Francis at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.

In her tribute, Minister Grange described the late coach as “among the most brilliant Jamaicans in any field”, highlighting his unique intellectual approach to the sport. “He used his mind power to shape actions and results,” she said, emphasizing that his contribution to the nation's athletic prowess must never be forgotten.

“Mr Francis helped to shape athletes and contributed significantly to Jamaica’s remarkable place in world athletics,” Grange stated.

The scholarship, which will be specifically designated for a student-athlete, is expected to be established at the University of Technology (UTech), where Francis served as head coach for 17 years. During his tenure, he was credited with transforming the institution into the ‘home of world class athletes’.

“The government will have discussions with UTech and with Paul [Francis, Stephen’s brother] to see how we can ensure that there is a lasting tribute to Franno,” Grange explained. “We are going to be offering a scholarship to a student-athlete at the University of Technology. Those details we will announce at a later date.”

Francis, the co-founder and leader of the MVP Track Club, was instrumental in developing a constellation of global athletics stars, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shericka Jackson, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, and Kishane Thompson, among many others.

The Honourable Vincent Stephen Francis passed away in July, one day after his 63^rd birthday. The announcement of the scholarship serves as the first major official tribute to a man whose system of training and technical expertise elevated Jamaican sprinting to unprecedented heights on the world stage.