Jerry Frei
Encyclopedia
Gerald L. "Jerry" Frei was an American football
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oregon
from 1967 to 1971, compiling a record of 22–29–2. At Oregon, Frei coached Dan Fouts
and Ahmad Rashad
. He later worked in the NFL
as a coach and scout, mostly with the Denver Broncos
.
. He spent his early years in Brooklyn, Wisconsin
, then moved with his family to Stoughton
, near Madison
. He graduated from Stoughton High School in 1941, shortly before his 17th birthday. He was a classmate there of Marian Benson, whom he later married in 1945. Frei was inducted into the Stoughton Hall of Fame after his death.
Frei attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. As a 18-year-old sophomore in 1942, he was a guard
for the Wisconsin Badgers
. The team, which starred two-time All American
end Dave Schreiner
and halfback
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch
, finished with an 8–1–1 record, ranked third in the final AP Poll
, and was named the national championship by the Helms Athletic Foundation
. The Badgers beat the AP national champion, Ohio State
, but lost to unheralded Iowa
and tied Notre Dame
.
Frei served as a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces
during World War II
, flying 67 reconnaissance missions in the Pacific theater for the 26th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (26th PRS) of the Fifth Air Force
's 6th Photographic Group
. In the unarmed version of the P-38, he made solo flights over Japanese targets to take photographs in advance of bombing missions. Following World War II
, he returned to Wisconsin, where he played football for the Badgers in 1946 and 1947. He graduated in 1948.
at the recommendation of a fellow pilot, Don Garbarino, Frei quickly became a popular high school football coach at Grant High School in Portland, Oregon
. He became head coach at Lincoln High School in 1950, then line coach at Willamette University
in 1952.
's football staff at the University of Oregon
as freshman coach in 1955. He replaced Casanova as the Duck's 25th head coach in 1967. He had a 22–29–4 record for his five seasons as head coach. His 1970 team finished second in the Pacific-8 Conference and he twice was United Press International
's national coach of the Week that season. His son, Terry Frei, suggests in his book that Frei was criticized for not maintaining "discipline" on the team when some of his players protested the Vietnam war
and wore their hair long on what was then a turbulent campus. Frei himself was known to be conservative, but his philosophy was that especially because he had flown in combat at age 20 and had been forced to grow up fast, he wasn't going to try to control his young players' lives, dictate their hairstyles, or attempt to censor their political views away from the field. He steadfastly refused to call his players "kids," and some made fun of or never understood his unvarying references to them as "young men." Frei resigned as head coach on January 19, 1972, two months after the 1971 had season ended following a dispute with the athletic director, who recommended that Frei fire assistant coaches. His final Oregon staff included future NFL head coaches John Robinson, George Seifert
, and Gunther Cunningham
, future NFL defensive coordinator John Marshall, and Bruce Snyder
, the later the head coach at the University of California, Berkeley
and Arizona State University
.
(1976–1977) and Chicago Bears
(1978–1980), returning to the Broncos in 1981. He was a Broncos offensive line coach under John Ralston and Dan Reeves
before going into scouting and administration, and he wound down his full-time career as the team's director of college scouting. After his retirement, Frei served as a consultant until his death in 2001.
since 1990. He once served as the public relations director for ABC Sports, the Denver Broncos
, and the San Francisco 49ers
. He has been the WKC's director of communications since 2003. He is an advocate of service dog
s, serving in organizations and writing books on the subject.
His second son, Terry, is a sports writer for The Denver Post
and has authored four books: Horns, Hogs, and Nixon Coming, Third Down and a War to Go: The All-American 1942 Wisconsin Badgers, 77: Denver, the Broncos and a Coming of Age, The Witch's Season, a novel clearly based on Frei's Oregon teams and the men and women on the campus in those times.
Frei's daughter, Judy Kaplan, is a former schoolteacher who now is a community volunteer in the Portland area. Another daughter, Susan Frei Earley, is a former principal with the Colorado Ballet who also danced with the Tampa Ballet and Tennessee Dance Theatre. She is the ballet mistress
with the Tulsa Ballet
. A third daughter, Nancy McCormick, is a senior legal assistant with the Chicago law firm of Barlit, Beck, Herman, Palenchar and Scott. Frei's widow, Marian, lives in the Denver area.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
from 1967 to 1971, compiling a record of 22–29–2. At Oregon, Frei coached Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
and Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
. He later worked in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
as a coach and scout, mostly with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early life, playing career, and military service
Fittingly, Frei was born in the small Wisconsin town of OregonOregon, Wisconsin
Oregon is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The current population of Oregon is 9498. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a suburb of Madison. The village is located mostly within the Town of Oregon....
. He spent his early years in Brooklyn, Wisconsin
Brooklyn (village), Wisconsin
Brooklyn is a village in Dane and Green Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2000 census, 502 Brooklyn residents lived in Dane County, and 414 in Green County, with a total population of 916....
, then moved with his family to Stoughton
Stoughton, Wisconsin
Stoughton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States and is a neighbor of Madison. It straddles the Yahara River about 20 miles southeast of the capital, Madison. Stoughton is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, near Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. He graduated from Stoughton High School in 1941, shortly before his 17th birthday. He was a classmate there of Marian Benson, whom he later married in 1945. Frei was inducted into the Stoughton Hall of Fame after his death.
Frei attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. As a 18-year-old sophomore in 1942, he was a guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
. The team, which starred two-time All American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
end Dave Schreiner
Dave Schreiner
David Nathan "Dave" Schreiner was an American football player. He was a two-time All-American end at Wisconsin and a 1943 draft choice of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was killed in action as a Marine during the Battle of Okinawa. He was elected to the College Football Hall...
and halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch
Elroy Hirsch
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch was an American football running back and receiver for the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Rockets, nicknamed for his unusual running style.-Early life:...
, finished with an 8–1–1 record, ranked third in the final AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, and was named the national championship by the Helms Athletic Foundation
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
. The Badgers beat the AP national champion, Ohio State
1942 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1942 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was led by WB Les Horvath and QB/Captain George Lynn. they were the first national title team in Ohio State football history. They were coached by Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown. Because the Big Ten Conference did not let its teams participate in any game...
, but lost to unheralded Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
and tied Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
.
Frei served as a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, flying 67 reconnaissance missions in the Pacific theater for the 26th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (26th PRS) of the Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
's 6th Photographic Group
607th Air Intelligence Squadron
The 607th Air Intelligence Squadron was redesignated the 6th Intelligence Squadron effective 1 January 2009.The 607th Air Intelligence Squadron is located at Osan Air Base, home of the 51st Fighter Wing, roughly south of Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea. The squadron comprises six...
. In the unarmed version of the P-38, he made solo flights over Japanese targets to take photographs in advance of bombing missions. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he returned to Wisconsin, where he played football for the Badgers in 1946 and 1947. He graduated in 1948.
Early coaching positions
Journeying to OregonOregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
at the recommendation of a fellow pilot, Don Garbarino, Frei quickly became a popular high school football coach at Grant High School in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He became head coach at Lincoln High School in 1950, then line coach at Willamette University
Willamette Bearcats
The Willamette Bearcats are the athletic teams of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Competing at the non-scholarship National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III level, the school fields twenty teams. Most teams compete in the Northwest Conference with their primary...
in 1952.
Oregon
Frei joined Len CasanovaLen Casanova
Leonard Joseph "Len" Casanova was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator...
's football staff at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
as freshman coach in 1955. He replaced Casanova as the Duck's 25th head coach in 1967. He had a 22–29–4 record for his five seasons as head coach. His 1970 team finished second in the Pacific-8 Conference and he twice was United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
's national coach of the Week that season. His son, Terry Frei, suggests in his book that Frei was criticized for not maintaining "discipline" on the team when some of his players protested the Vietnam war
Opposition to the Vietnam War
The movement against US involvment in the in Vietnam War began in the United States with demonstrations in 1964 and grew in strength in later years. The US became polarized between those who advocated continued involvement in Vietnam, and those who wanted peace. Peace movements consisted largely of...
and wore their hair long on what was then a turbulent campus. Frei himself was known to be conservative, but his philosophy was that especially because he had flown in combat at age 20 and had been forced to grow up fast, he wasn't going to try to control his young players' lives, dictate their hairstyles, or attempt to censor their political views away from the field. He steadfastly refused to call his players "kids," and some made fun of or never understood his unvarying references to them as "young men." Frei resigned as head coach on January 19, 1972, two months after the 1971 had season ended following a dispute with the athletic director, who recommended that Frei fire assistant coaches. His final Oregon staff included future NFL head coaches John Robinson, George Seifert
George Seifert
George Seifert is a former NFL head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers. Seifert joined the 49ers' coaching staff under Bill Walsh in 1980 as defensive backs coach and served as the team's defensive coordinator from 1983–1988.As a 49er assistant, his defenses finished...
, and Gunther Cunningham
Gunther Cunningham
Gunther Cunningham is an American football defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Cunningham has presided over some of the most successful defenses in NFL history , typically ranking at the top of the league in many statistical categories.Cunningham was born in 1946 in war-torn Munich,...
, future NFL defensive coordinator John Marshall, and Bruce Snyder
Bruce Snyder
Bruce Snyder was an American football player and coach. After playing for Oregon in the early 1960s as a fullback, Snyder embarked on a coaching career...
, the later the head coach at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
.
National Football League
Frei was an assistant coach with the Broncos (1972–1975), Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
(1976–1977) and Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1978–1980), returning to the Broncos in 1981. He was a Broncos offensive line coach under John Ralston and Dan Reeves
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves is a former American football player and head coach. He has participated in more Super Bowls as player/assistant coach/Head Coach than anyone else...
before going into scouting and administration, and he wound down his full-time career as the team's director of college scouting. After his retirement, Frei served as a consultant until his death in 2001.
Family
Frei's eldest son, David, has hosted the Westminster Kennel Club Dog ShowWestminster Kennel Club Dog Show
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a two-day, all-breed benched conformation show that takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City every year. The first Westminster show was held in 1877....
since 1990. He once served as the public relations director for ABC Sports, the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. He has been the WKC's director of communications since 2003. He is an advocate of service dog
Service dog
A service dog is a type of assistance dog specifically trained to help people who have disabilities including visual or hearing impairment, and also to help people with mental disabilities including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and severe depression...
s, serving in organizations and writing books on the subject.
His second son, Terry, is a sports writer for The Denver Post
The Denver Post
-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
and has authored four books: Horns, Hogs, and Nixon Coming, Third Down and a War to Go: The All-American 1942 Wisconsin Badgers, 77: Denver, the Broncos and a Coming of Age, The Witch's Season, a novel clearly based on Frei's Oregon teams and the men and women on the campus in those times.
Frei's daughter, Judy Kaplan, is a former schoolteacher who now is a community volunteer in the Portland area. Another daughter, Susan Frei Earley, is a former principal with the Colorado Ballet who also danced with the Tampa Ballet and Tennessee Dance Theatre. She is the ballet mistress
Ballet Master
Ballet Master is the term used for an employee of a ballet company who is responsible for the level of competence of the dancers in their company...
with the Tulsa Ballet
Tulsa Ballet
Tulsa Ballet is a professional American Ballet company located in Tulsa, OK. The artistic mission of Tulsa Ballet is "To preserve the tradition of classical ballet, promote the appreciation of contemporary dance, create works of superior and enduring quality, and educate through exemplary...
. A third daughter, Nancy McCormick, is a senior legal assistant with the Chicago law firm of Barlit, Beck, Herman, Palenchar and Scott. Frei's widow, Marian, lives in the Denver area.