1985 - 1992 Vern Francis, 71

Coaching History

Assistant Coach Fall of 1977 - Spring 1980

Assistant Coach Fall of 1983 - Spring 1985

Head Coach Fall 1985 - Spring 1992

Short Biography

Vernon Edward Francis, PhD, LtCol (ret), ‘71 Tenured Associate Professor and Deputy Department Head, USAF Academy Department of Management. Aka Uncle Vern

Vern is the most successful men’s coach since the beginning of the Air Force Academy intercollegiate rugby programs.

He began his love of the sport playing intramural rugby for three years at the Academy and continued his career playing the position of hooker up to age 54 on several teams.

Vern’s first operational assignment was at McConnell AFB, Wichita, Kansas where he served as Missile Combat Crew Commander with the 533rd Strategic Missile Squadron. During this time he was the founder, first Coach, first President, first Captain, and first Honorary Lifetime Member of the Wichita Rugby Football Club where three of his teammates were chosen to the USA National Rugby team. He was inducted into the Wichita Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013.

Vern was then sponsored by the USAFA Dept. of Management to earn his MBA at the University of Colorado and returned to the Academy in 1977.

Vern continued his coaching career in the fall of 1977 under another of our most successful coaches and teams’ founder, Alan Osur. Vern was the assistant coach of both the men’s and women’s teams during the academic years of 1978 – 1980. Before transferring out in 1980, Vern was part of the coaching team that led the team to a second in the nation finish, losing to Cal Berkeley in the finals.

After spending three years earning his PhD at UCLA, Vern returned to the Academy in the fall of 1983, again in the management department. He immediately rejoined as the men’s team as assistant coach under Squadron Leader Bill Mulvenney then stepped into the head coaching role in the fall of 1985 that began a seven year stint as head coach and set a standard for coaches to come:

- Twice National Champions in 1989 and 1990

- Second place National Champions 1987 (one point loss in the finals)

- Three times Third in the nation 1986, 1988 and 1992

And after his retirement in 1992 and leaving the Academy, the underclass years he coached and mentored went on to continued national success:

- Twice Runners up National Champions, 1993, 1995

- Third in the nation, 1994

During this time and after Vern also significantly contributed to the Armed Forces Rugby initiatives:

- Assistant Coach, Combined Services Juniors, 1985-86

- Head Coach, Combined Services Juniors, 1986-1992

- Head Coach USAF Selects tour to Japan, 1989 (winning 4 of 5 matches)

Prior to his military retirement, Vern was Chairman of the USA Rugby Collegiate Committee and was on the USA Rugby Board of Directors from ’89-’93.

Uncle Vern also had a positive and lasting impact on our cadet players. Many a time have we have heard, “if it were not for Vern and rugby, I never would have made it through the Academy”… words said by young individuals whom we now know as Colonels, Generals, CEOs, physicians and so on, a tribute to the man whose dedication to our game and to the Academy cannot be overstated.

He and his wife, Laura, currently reside in Irving Texas.

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==  Grads and Guests in attendance at the official naming of the Vern Francis Perpetural Fund For Men's Rugby

Back Row: Duke Snynder, Keith and Aleta Gay, Walt Daniels,xxx xxxx Jon Drummond,XXX Laura Francis, XXX xxx Harry Laws

Middle Ros: XXX, Dan Drummond, Vern Francis, Brent Vander Pol, Matt and Tina Benivegna

Front: xxxx