Following Jamaica’s bronze medal victory at the 2023 Netball World Cup (NWC), the search will begin for a new head coach, according to Netball Jamaica (NJ) President Tricia Robinson.

She told the Jamaica Observer that Connie Francis, who guided the Sunshine Girls to third place at the just-ended tournament in Cape Town, South Africa, had indicated to Netball Jamaica that she will not renew her contract after the championship.

Robinson said that when Francis took the job in October 2019 following Jamaica’s dismal fifth-place finish at the World Cup in Liverpool, England, that summer, Francis had made it clear she was available for a four-year stint.

“It is a high stress job and she promised us one cycle and she has given us that one cycle, and so we are going to have to appreciate her thoughts around this,” said Robinson.

“She has stated that she is up for the one cycle and it is something that she wanted to do and she has completed that cycle and so I am anticipating that we will more than likely be searching for another head coach for the Sunshine Girls,” she said.

For a number of days, the Observer has tried, without success, to contact Francis for a comment.

The 54-year-old Francis is undoubtedly the Sunshine Girls’ most successful coach, having also led the Jamaicans to a historic silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Francis, a former national netball player, has had multiple stints as senior team coach, and also guided the Sunshine Girls to the bronze medal at the 2007 World Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.

Robinson noted that Francis has done an excellent job since she took charge four years ago, especially after their poor performance at the NWC in 2019.

“You know that Coach Francis has had a remarkable journey with Netball Jamaica in this last cycle. [In 2019] she took the contract coming out of the World Cup and [Jamaica] placing fifth, and mining silver at the Commonwealth Games last year and bronze at this year’s World Cup…She has gone through an incredible journey with the Sunshine Girls in this last cycle,” she said.

“She has done us extremely proud. She has brought back confidence after our fifth-place finish at the last World Cup, and as you can see, we won bronze at the World Cup this year after 16 years and so we are very grateful to her for that,” Robinson said.

The president said the NJ technical committee will meet to decide who the next Sunshine Girls head coach is going to be.

“There are several qualified persons out there because this is Sunshine Girls and there are so many coaches over the period that have put their hands up wanting to coach them,” Robinson said.