Glen Mills and Stephen Francis

Recently Glen Mills retired as Jamaica’s head coach of the country’s national team, and Stephen Francis, whose top athlete includes former 100 metres world record holder Asafa Powell and two world and Olympic individual champions, has declined the offer at the job.

Francis was quoted, “It would be very hypocritical if I were to accept a position as team coach of the Jamaican team. I believe that post is for someone with less personal interest. The truth of the matter is that I don’t have the best interest of the Jamaican team members at heart.

What I do have is the best interest of the people that I coach at heart. I have in the past strongly believed that people who coach a number of athletes, especially non-Jamaicans in a private capacity, should not be accepting positions on a national programme primarily because, well for me, I am really interested in how the athletes who I coach perform.

And if I coach an athlete from Trinidad or from Bahrain, I am going to want my athlete to beat any Jamaican that I do not coach as a result of the whole athlete-coach thing.

I have repeatedly in the past turned down offers and have told the JAAA that I will not be available for any such position because it’s not fair to the athletes who are a part of the team, it is not necessary. But some people, for whatever reason, have felt that they need to continue doing it.

I don’t do it and I don’t see that changing in the future because as I said, I am going to want to see my individual athletes who I coach from whichever country beat whichever Jamaicans they are up against as long as I don’t coach them.

I wouldn’t want to recommend anybody. These things (appointments) are not done by ability anyway. it’s about friendships and who is comfortable working with whom, and so forth At the end of the day, however, the selection process is carried out.

I hope it is someone who would be an asset to the people who will represent Jamaica at these meets.”

From what I’ve been following the forums discussion, it seems that Francis has issues with his national body, Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA). Well well well now, we sure can identify with such ‘politics’ eh.