By James Smith

Skill Player Physical Preparation Coach PITT Football

The sport training world has recently sustained an immeasurable loss. Canadian Sprint Coach Charlie Francis lost his battle with cancer last Wednesday the 12th of May.

How Charlie has impacted my development as a coach:

I began studying Charlie’s work nearly a decade ago and it was my great honor to have met Charlie at his Vancouver Clinic in 2004. Like the myriad of others who have been deeply affected by his work, his teachings have become an integral part of how I approach coaching and programming the training of my athletes.

It is important to note that Charlie’s work encompasses a great deal of mandatory coaching and training programming doctrines that extend far beyond speed development and the training of speed-power athletes; such as:

  • categorization and organization of training load elements based upon their training impact to the body
  • individualization of training loads, warm up, and recovery needs for each athlete as an individual
  • recovery and regeneration techniques
  • social interaction with athletes based upon their temperament
  • assuming a holistic approach to real time coaching tactics
  • maximizing resourcefulness- there’s always a solution
  • doing whatever is necessary to ensure that your athletes preparation and readiness is maximized
  • and the list goes on

While coaching at the high school level, the influence of Charlie’s work in my own contributed to winning the 2004 Division 1 NSCIF Championship, and multiple school T&F records during the 2005 season in the 100m, long jump, shot put, and discus.

In 2005, before our football team returned to our second consecutive appearance in the NSCIF Championship Game, I released a self-published training manual. In it, I explained various approaches to organizing CNS intensive training elements. The material was heavily influenced by Charlie’s work. In fact, I sent the entire draft to Charlie, prior to its publication, in order to receive his approval.

Throughout that time period Charlie was very generous in spending time communicating with me via email offering his valuable insights.

In 2006, before reaching the final round of the NSCIF play-offs, I released a second self-published training manual and once again, Charlie’s teachings were present in my work; as I illustrated the importance of speed training throughout the year for non-track athletes.

In the spring of 2007 Buddy Morris presented me the opportunity to join him at PITT in order to serve as the Skill Player Physical Preparation coach for the American Football team. Since then, Buddy and I have been part of a program that has realized national rankings that have not been attained by the Panthers in over a quarter century; dating back to when Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Marino led the team. Our contribution to the advancing physical preparation of the players owes a great deal to Charlie Francis. Charlie’s work serves as an integral part of how Buddy and I conceptualize speed training and the organization of training within the framework of our annual programming strategies.

I am grateful to have been able to connect on the phone with Charlie a couple years ago and express to him how important it was to me to be able to communicate with him.

While the impact that a physical preparation coach has on a collegiate American Football player’s sports results may surely be debated; due to the tactical-technical complexities of positional biodynamics and the game as a whole, as well as the players genetic gifts, I believe that the impact I have on my players sporting achievements is meaningful. To this end, it is remarkable to mention certain standout player accomplishments which have occurred since I began coaching at PITT and integrating Charlie’s lessons into the training of my skill players:

Since 2007 players such as LeSean McCoy, LaRod Stephens- Howling, Scott Mckillop, and Dorin Dickerson (who are now in the NFL), as well as current PITT players Jon Baldwin, and Dion Lewis, have racked up season accolades ranging from 1st Team All American, #1 tackler in the nation, breaking Tony Dorsett’s freshman rushing record set in 1973, to the 2010 Heisman Trophy Watch List.

Most recently, our 2009 First Team All American Tight End/H-Back Dorin Dickerson set the school tight end record in totaling 10 touchdown catches. During this past spring I trained Dorin for the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis IN. Dorin was one of the stars of the combine earning Top Performer rankings (in the tight end group) in six different disciplines.

I make it a point to illustrate a brief account of these player’s accomplishments because they share a commonality amidst their physical preparation: Charlie’s principles are integrated into all of their annual training, NFL Combine, and NFL Pro Day training programs.

I asked my players to honor Charlie for his influence on their training during a game week last season. I was speaking to Derek Hansen, a superb coach at Simon Frazier University and colleague of mine, and long time close friend and associate of Charlie’s, and Derek informed me that Charlie was hospitalized and the prognosis wasn’t good. The following morning I brought my skill players together and explained to them how much this man, who they don’t know, has had so much to do with how their bodies feel and how they’ve physically developed. Before I finished explaining that Charlie was hospitalized and wasn’t doing well the entire group bowed their heads. While I didn’t show it, it was an emotional moment for me.

Since 2007 I have released four lecture DVDs; each of which references Charlie’s impact on my thinking. Serving as an integral part of my planning tactics it is difficult for me to foresee an instance in which Charlie’s work won’t be referenced in my own.

My account is only one of so many other coaches and athletes accomplishments who have been influenced by Charlie’s work.

Unlike so many others, the principles which constitute the basis of Charlie’s work were forged at the Olympic level over 20 years ago; and they, unchanged, will endure the test of time. Unique to Charlie is that he, himself, was a world class athlete and Canadian sprint champion; earning a personal best of 10.1 in the 100m at the Pan Am trials in 1971.

It is my personal feeling that Charlie is the most important coaching figure to have emerged from the Western Hemisphere. Charlie had it figured out.

While his body no longer walks the earth, his spirit will remain amongst us.  The legion of those influenced by Charlie will forever remain impacted by his work.

I am in debt to Charlie for what he contributed to the sport training community and I will honor his legacy as long as I am coaching athletes.

On behalf of myself and PITT Football,

Rest in peace Charlie