ABA Mourns the Passing of Greg Francis

Alberta Basketball Association (ABA) joins the Canadian basketball community in mourning the loss of Greg Francis. 

A standout member of the Canada Basketball men’s national team who went on to share his knowledge and love of the game through coaching, Francis passed away Sunday at 48.

“Greg's passing was far too early in his life and he had so much more to give others. His loss will be felt by all who knew him for a very long time,” says Paul Sir, ABA Executive Director.

While he was born and raised in Toronto, Francis made a giant impact on basketball in Alberta.

Francis worked in a position of technical director and with curriculum development for ABA from 2010 to 2012, and would serve as ABA’s Technical Director from 2017 to 2019. He was coach of Alberta’s U17 boys provincial team at the 2019 Canada Basketball national championship.

From 2009-10 to 2011-12 the University of Alberta Golden Bears from 2009-10 to 2011-12, guiding the Bears in 2012 to the Canada West championship and their first national championship game appearance in 10 years.

Francis played NCAA Division 1 basketball at Fairfield University, where he was inducted to the school’s athletic hall of fame. Internationally, Francis competed for Canada at both the 1998 FIBA Men’s World Championship and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

He served as head coach for the men’s basketball teams at the University of Waterloo Warriors from 2013 to 2015, and the Ontario Tech University Ridgebacks from 2019 to 2022. He was appointed Canada Basketball’s Manager of Men’s High Performance in 2015, and was the first Head of Basketball of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

“Our deepest condolences go out to his family and close friends,” Sir says. “Greg was a special person who impacted the lives of so many in his basketball endeavors.”