Bob Francis (ice hockey)
| Bobby Francis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
December 5, 1958 North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada |
||
| 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 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.
The Coyotes had chosen to hire Bob Francis, who over the past 2 years, had been the assistant coach for the Boston Bruins. His only NHL experience was with the Coyotes. Francis was fired in 2004 after a slow start, and was replaced by assistant coach Rick Bowness.
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.
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. Bob Francis holds both Canadian and American citizenship. In September 2012, it was revealed that Francis has lost his balance and equilibrium and requires a walker to get around. 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.
...
Wikipedia