A native of Fayetteville, N.C., Francie Barragan took over as the women’s head tennis coach at Methodist for the 2005-06 season. In 2006, Barragan led the Monarchs to it’s sixth consecutive USA South Championship and was named the USA South Coach of the Year. In just her second season, the Monarchs claimed the 2007 USA South Tournament championship receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  She aims to continue the Monarch tradition that has produced 12 USA South Athletic Conference championships.

Barragan grew up in Fayetteville and was a prep standout at Fayetteville’s Terry Sanford High School, where she played on three state championship squads. She then starred collegiately at North Carolina State of the Atlantic Coast Conference from 1996-2000 under head coaches Jenny Sell Garrity and Kay Louthian.

In her career at N.C. State, Barragan helped lead the Wolfpack to a third-place finish in the ACC and a berth in the NCAA Division I National Tournament for women’s tennis in 1998. She served as team captain as a senior, and was nominated for the NCAA Sportsperson of the Year by the N.C. State Athletic Department in 1999.

Individually, Barragan played as high as No. 1 singles for the Wolfpack and was elected to the Dean’s List all four years at N.C. State. Her best season was a 16-8 mark in singles as a sophomore.
Barragan earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Marketing from N.C. State in 2000, and her Master’s degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management from N.C. State in 2001. While in graduate school, Barragan served one season as a graduate assistant coach under Louthian, and was also assistant pro at the Highland Country Club in Fayetteville.

After graduate school, Barragan spent three years working as the Community Development Coordinator for the United States Tennis Association (USTA)/North Carolina in Greensboro, N.C. She was also a financial analyst for The Todd Organization in Greensboro. In addition to her coaching duties, Barragan has rejoined the USTA as the local coordinator for programs in the area.