As he restarts and builds the lacrosse program at Whittier College, Todd Francis ’83 draws upon the influential lessons of his dad

When Todd Francis ’83 arrived on the Whittier College campus in 2024 to be the new men’s lacrosse coach, he was faced with a gargantuan task. Francis, a Williston Northampton School Athletic Hall of Fame inductee and the youngest son of legendary Williston coach and Athletic Director Rick Francis, wasn’t just taking over a program—he was restarting one.

Francis, though, was undeterred. He’s been in and around lacrosse programs his entire life—and knew this was the time to try something he’s wanted to do for a long time.

A standout athlete and Denman Bowl winner at Williston, Francis had a decorated collegiate career at Cornell University—including All-Ivy and All-American honors as a senior—before going on to play a decade of professional indoor lacrosse. Since retiring from playing, Francis has coached at the professional and high school levels, as well as starting The Lacrosse Institute, a business that teaches coaches how to use technology to improve their skills. Being the coach of  a college team is something Francis had considered, but he had never felt the time was right.

“When the college coaching idea came up this time, I was in,” he said. “I’m 100 percent dedicated to getting this program back on its feet.”

The program was temporarily shuttered under the school’s previous president, who decided to cut funding from the lacrosse and football programs while altering the makeup of the student population. Those decisions—controversial at the time—were eventually reversed. The programs were restored, and that’s when Francis entered the picture.

Located just outside of Los Angeles, Whittier is a small liberal arts college with just under 800 students and a tight-knit community that reminds Francis of Williston. “You walk to the cafeteria and half the people you pass say, ‘Hey, Coach, how are you?’ It reminded me of when I’d walk from our house behind Memorial Hall, and everyone was like, ‘Hey, Coach Francis! See you at practice!’”

Any conversation about Francis’ connection to Williston inevitably turns to his dad, Rick Francis, the legendary football coach and longtime Williston Athletic Director. “His influence is in everything.—how I interact with kids, with recruits, with parents, with other faculty members,” Francis says. “It’s how I grew up. It’s the only way I know how to do it, how my dad did it.”

That includes recruiting the right kids for his Poets lacrosse program. Whittier’s history includes an NCAA Final Four appearance, multiple league championships, and numerous All-Americans. But with no roster to build on, Francis is taking his time adding pieces to the puzzle. What he wants most are dedicated student-athletes, ready to compete on the field and in the classroom. He also values multi-sport athletes and hopes some of his players will play football in the fall.

Francis also intends to start off-the-field leadership programs for his team, pulling on experiences from Cornell to push the importance of being a leader and not just a player. While Francis describes his coaching style as unique, he still leans on creating a culture that’s familiar to him and creating “leaders here on campus.”

Francis will also contend with being a lacrosse oasis in a landscape that’s dominated by football. Having a picturesque Southern California backdrop certainly helps in recruitment, but there aren’t many other lacrosse programs in the area. Much of Whittier’s schedule will be against teams from other areas out West, including schools in Colorado and Arizona.

With the spring lacrosse season on the horizon, Francis is hopeful that this year will be a first step on the Poets’ path to greatness. “This program deserves to be legendary,” Francis says. “I want to put Whittier back on the map.”