6 The Collegian August 24, 2018 sports Passing on the knowledge From former NFL to wide receivers coach ZACH READ ing around really good coaches.” ries and 51 other categories during @zach_read20 Frye started his playing career his collegiate career. at Willard high school where he “For me it’s really been good be- In 1981, Charlie Frye was born in broke 17 of the school’s all-time cause Charlie and I have always Willard, Ohio, just forty-five min- football records. In his senior sea- been on the same page offensively utes northwest of Ashland. Jump son, Frye won the Northwest Dis- and he knows what I’m thinking ahead to 2001 and Frye found trict Player of the Year award and and I know what he’s thinking,” himself playing at led his team to a 10-2 season. Owens said. the University of Akron as a four After high school, Frye left Wil- After playing for Akron, Frye’s year starter for the Zips, just an lard to play at the University of NFL career consisted of five sea- hour northeast of Ashland. Akron for former head coach Lee sons playing for the Cleveland In 2005, Frye was a third round Owens, who is now in his 15th sea- Browns, and draft pick (67th overall) selected by son as head coach with the Ash- Oakland Raiders. During that the in which he land Eagles. Also on Owen’s Akron time Frye played in 26 games, would play three seasons for them staff at the time was current Eagles starting 23 of those and throwing just an hour north of Ashland. associate head coach/offensive for a total of 4,154 yards in his pro- Skip ahead thirteen years later, line coach/run game coordina- fessional career. and Frye steps foot on the campus tor Doug Geiser and Frye said that some of the teams of Ashland University, this time as coach/passing game coordinator/ he was on the wide receivers and the volunteer wide receivers coach junior varsity coach Tom Stacy. quarterbacks had meetings in the for the Ashland University football During his time at Akron, Frye same room, so he was able to pick team. played in 46 games, threw for up a lot just from hanging around “It feels good, I’m excited to be 11,049 yards and 64 those NFL wide receivers. back,” Frye said. “I’m just trying with a completion percentage of After Frye’s NFL career ended PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE TOLEDO BLADE to pass on the things I learned, 63.6. Frye broke the Akron foot- earlier than expected due to in- Charlie Frye in 2006 playing for the Cleveland Borwns. through my time playing and be- ball record for these three catego- juries and surgeries in 2010, Frye turned to coaching which began er get into coaching, but it draws Michael Schweitzer said. as a high school offensive coor- you right back in,” Frye said. For Frye, he is just trying to give dinator in Florida. He was also a For the players on the field, they back some of the knowledge that he My first love as a kid was playing quarterbacks coach at Nike Elite are excited to have Frye around as learned through his playing days. 11 and most recently served as the a coach. “There were certain guys that football and I told myself when I was Director of Player Development “He jumps in and talks to us I played for that were able to ad- done playing that I would never get into and Mental Conditioning at the pretty much every day, he jumps in vance me and make the game eas- University of Florida. with the quarterbacks, wide receiv- ier, and I want to give that back,” “ coaching, but it draws you right back in.” “My first love as a kid was playing ers, tight ends, pretty much anyone Frye said. “If I can help another football and I told myself when I on the offense to give us his piece kid then it’s all worth it for me.” was done playing that I would nev- of knowledge,” Ashland tight end - Charlie Fry Nine new coaches to join AU BREE GANNON @BreeGannon

With the start of a new school year, comes the hiring of new fac- ulty, staff and even coaches. This school year starts with the hiring of over seven new head and assis- tant coaches. Each with the plan to improve the program to the best of their ability while also, having fun with their teams. Many of these coaches come from long lines of experience in the coaching world or from playing experience but for Anthony Bland, assistant strength Kari Pickens, head women’s basket- Dennis North, head men’s golf Taylor Clarke, interim women’s soc- some, coaching is something that is and conditioning coach. ball coach coach. cer coach. new to them as well. Men’s Golf nut High School girls golf team. On July 10, the director of ten- women’s basketball team was un- This position marks Pickens as the After hiring Logan Cooke as the This is Nelson’s first collegiate nis operations Lexi Bolesky an- stoppable and that was partially program’s 13th head coach. new men’s golf coach at the start of coaching position but she brings nounced the hiring of Chris- due to head coach Robyn Fralick. Athletic Strength & Train- the season last year, the team will along the knowledge she took away tian Hamilton as the men’s and It was announced in April that ing once again have a new person to from her own collegiate playing women’s tennis program assistant Fralick would be stepping down The athletic department itself is learn from. Director of Athletics Al experience. coach. He will be helping Bolesky to take a head coaching posi- also getting a new coach after Al King announced on July 13, Den- Esports in the management of both teams, tion at Bowling Green. The open King announced Anthony Bland nis North as the new head coach. After the announcement came individual instruction, recruitment spot was given to Associate Head as the assistant strength and con- North is the head golf professional that Esports would be joining AU and budgeting. The athletic de- Coach and former All-American ditioning coach. Bland graduated at the Ashland Golf Club, which in the Spring of 2018, the program partment announced last fall that for the eagles, Kari Pickens. Pick- from Peru State College in 2012 is also the team’s home course. has hired an assistant coach. Head they were going to be adding men’s ens was the assistant for five years and worked in strength and condi- Through AGC, North was able to coach Josh Buchanan announced tennis as a varsity sport. Hamilton and helped lead the team to their tioning at Marshall and Missouri make connections with the team the hiring of Travis Yang as his as- was the assistant men’s and wom- historic success. As a player, Pick- Baptist. Bland is coming from before he was named as the coach. sistant. Yang comes from a presti- en’s tennis coach at Allegheny (Pa.) ens was apart of the 2013 national Morehead State where he created Every coach needs an assistant gious background after he placed College and he also spent a season championship team and had 1,414 and implemented a year-round and the men’s golf team is getting second at the Wichita eSports and a half as the assistant coach points which landed her at the program for their varsity teams. a familiar face as theirs. Gabe Convention in 2017 $1K Midwest at his alma mater of Lindenwood seventh of all time slot. She also The hire of Bland is to help out the Reynolds was named as the as- Overwatch Tournament. He also University-Belleville. finished with 903 rebounds, plac- strength and conditioning coordi- sistant coach for the men’s golf ranks in the top one percent of the Football ing her the fourth-most all time. nator, Malcolm Majesky. team. Reynolds is a 2017 graduate Hearthstone ladder. Yang is the The biggest coach that is being Pickens also holds the record for

of Ashland University and a key co-owner of the Sloth E-Sports added to the athletic department single-game rebounds sitting at 24. PHOTOS COURTESY OF AU ATHLETICS leader for the team throughout his Club where he oversees operations so far this year is a former NFL four years in the program. Reyn- and player and coaching recruit- quarterback who played for the olds started his collegiate career ment. Cleveland Browns from 2005- as a walk on and earned a starting Women’s Soccer 2007. Charlie Frye was named as a Calling all mascots spot. During his senior year, Reyn- After a public battle with cancer, volunteer wide receivers coach for The Ashland University cheer and dance team is looking for olds was named team captain and head coach Danny Krispinsky is this upcoming season. Frye is join- placed in a tie for 29th in a field of stepping aside from his coaching ing a staff of familiar faces and for- new Tuffy the mascots for the 2018-2019 school year. Do you 65 during the GLIAC Champion- duties for this upcoming season. mer coaches. Current head coach ships. He also set the course record Taylor Clarke, former women’s Lee Owens was the head coach at have what it takes to be the school mascot? at Mohican Hills Golf Club with a soccer graduate assistant, is step- Akron University when Frye was score of 64. ping in as the interim head coach. just starting his career in 2001. Mascots must be spirited, entertaining and promote good Women’s Golf Clarke is coming off an assis- Frye was a third-round pick in the The women’s golf team is also tant coaching position at Calvin 2005 NFL Draft and completed sportsmanship to be Tuffy the Eagle. This is a paid position entering this school year with a (Mich.) College where he helped 64.1 percent of his passes for the new coach as well. The team was lead the Knights to a 21-1-1 record Browns, a record that stands as the through the athletic department that offers flexible hours and coached by Andrew Bollinger last and a NCAA Division II Sweet second-highest single-season mark year and made their ninth straight Sixteen appearance. Clarke is also in history. possible travel opportunities. If you are interested in this op- NCAA regional appearance. This bringing on the help from former Women’s Basketball year the team is being lead by Au- player Alyssa Gervelis as the grad- After back-to-back undefeated portunity or want more information you can send an email drey Nelson, a former collegiate uate assistant. regular seasons, a national title player and coach for the Big Wal- Men’s and Women’s Tennis and a national runner-up title, the to [email protected].