Assistant Coach

Andrew Francis

n his first year in Berkeley, Francis and the Cal coaching staff helped guide the Bears to a 14-18 overall record, up from 8-23 in the year prior, and upped their conference win total to seven wins after securing just three wins the previous season. Cal swept both the Washington and Mountain programs in Berkeley, which included an upset of No. 21 Colorado at Haas Pavilion. The Bears capped off the season with a victory over rival Stanford at the Pac-12 Tournament before the season was cut short due to COVID-19, and under Cal’s coaching staff Matt Bradley continued his development as one of the league’s emerging stars, earning an All-Pac-12 Second Team nod. Despite a 9-20 overall mark in 2020-21, the Bears picked up yet another Pac-12 Tournament victory over rival Stanford in the first round and secured key regular-season victories over Colorado, Utah and San Francisco. Bradley was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team for the second straight year and the Bears earned a slew of academic honors, including the NABC Team Excellence Award.
 
Year three in Berkeley saw Cal post a 12-20 overall record with three Bears earning All-Pac-12 postseason honors, including honorable mentions for senior forward Andre Kelly and graduate guard Jordan Shepherd. Forward Sam Alajiki became the first Bear to earn an All-Freshman Team (honorable mention) recognition since 2016-17. An emphatic 78-64 win at Oregon helped Cal secure its first road sweep of the Oregon schools since 2014 while the Bears’ improved defensive identity fueled a stifling 53-39 victory against Stanford on Senior Day. The Bears reeled off nine consecutive home wins from Nov. 15-Jan. 2, a streak that included two Pac-12 victories over Oregon State and Arizona State.
 
Praised for his tireless recruiting efforts and player development, Francis served the Hawkeyes for nine seasons and was a member of the longest-tenured coaching staff in Division I basketball after becoming Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery’s first hire in April 2010. During his time in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes averaged 20 wins in eight consecutive seasons and won at least 18 games per season for six straight seasons (2012-17), while attendance at Carver-Hawkeye Arena increased by more than 50 percent. The Hawkeyes were one of just three teams to finish in the upper division of the Big Ten in at least six of his last seven seasons.
 
In Francis’ final season with the Hawkeyes, Iowa amassed 23 victories – the program’s second-highest total in more than a decade – and was nationally ranked for 16 consecutive weeks. With his help over the last decade, Iowa regained its footing as a national powerhouse, achieving its highest national ranking since 1987 when the Hawkeyes earned a No. 3 ranking in January 2016. The Hawkeyes were ranked in both major polls in each of the final 11 weeks of the 2016 season. In 2013, Iowa tallied 25 wins and reached the NIT Championship game.
 
During his tenure, Jarrod Uthoff was named an All-American, while eight student-athletes earned All-Big Ten status, including Tyler Cook (2018), Peter Jok (2017), Uthoff (2016), Aaron White (2015) and Roy Devyn Marble (2014). Jok also became the Big Ten scoring champion after averaging 19.9 points per game. Francis helped develop frontcourt players Gabriel Olaseni and Nicholas Baer, who were each voted Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in 2015 and 2017, respectively. He also helped coach six All-Big Ten Freshman performers (Eric May in 2010; Melsahn Basabe in 2011; White in 2012; Jordan Bohannon and Tyler Cook in 2017; Joe Wieskamp in 2019).
 
While in Iowa City, Francis helped guide 13 student-athletes to professional contracts, including Marble and Aaron White, who were selected by the Orlando Magic (2014) and Washington Wizards (2015) in the NBA Draft, respectively.
 
Prior to joining the Iowa staff on April 8, 2010, Francis also served under McCaffery at Siena from 2007-10, helping with the team’s recruiting, player development and scouting efforts as an assistant coach. During his three seasons in Loudonville, the Saints claimed three consecutive conference titles and NCAA Tournament berths. He guided six Saints players to all-conference honors, plus two Player of the Year recipients and a Sixth Man of the Year.
 
Francis arrived at Siena after a two-year stint under Jay Wright at Villanova University beginning in August 2005, where he was the administrative assistant and video coordinator for Wright. He assisted the program in a variety of roles while directing the video operations of the basketball office.
 
A Brooklyn, N.Y., native, Francis is a 1992 graduate of Brooklyn’s Abraham Lincoln High School. He played basketball at Fulton Montgomery Community College in Johnstown, New York, before completing his college career under Sidney Green at Long Island University-Southampton. Francis graduated in 1998 with a degree in marketing and management.
 
When his professional playing career ended due to a knee injury, Francis became a volunteer assistant coach at Concordia College. From 2003-05, he served as the head women’s coach at Mt. St. Vincent College, compiling a 26-27 record. In addition, he served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Westchester Wildfire of the United States Basketball League.