Frazier to Tackle Rampage Defense

Published on October 30, 2003 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Grand Rapids Rampage News Release


The Grand Rapids Rampage have hired former Milwaukee Mustangs Head Coach Rick Frazier as the team's Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator.

He brings more than a quarter-century worth of football coaching experience to the Grand Rapids Rampage, including nearly a decade of Arena experience. Frazier spent seven seasons with the Milwaukee Mustangs (1995-2001) and from 1998-2001 was the team's head coach.

"Good things come to those that are patient and yesterday we hammered out a deal to bring one of the best defensive minds in Arena Football here to Grand Rapids," said Rampage Head Coach Bob Cortese. "Since the day I took this job, Rick Frazier was my first choice to build the Rampage into a championship-caliber defense. Having Coach Frazier here is like having a second head coach. He knows players in this league and knows what to look for in helping this franchise win football games."

Following the Mustangs being contracted before the 2002 season, Frazier served as the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator for the Toronto Phantoms. He spent 2003 as the head coach of the af2's Norfolk Nighthawks.

"I'm excited to come to a program that's had a lot of success over the years and I am ready to take up the challenge of improving the defensive unit," said Frazier. "Defense in Arena Football is damage control. Our goal in this game is to get one defensive stop per quarter. That's a 14-point momentum swing - multiplied by four quarters and that's 56 points. Do that, and we will win many games."

Frazier served as Defensive Coordinator (1996-1997) of the Mustangs after originally joining the team as an assistant coach (1995). He took over as head coach when Michael Trigg left Milwaukee for Grand Rapids in 1998.

In 1996, Frazier's Mustang defense was the top-ranked unit in Arena Football leading the league in total defense, pass defense and sacks. In 1997and 1998, Milwaukee finished fifth in total defense. Frazier's special teams units in Milwaukee returned more kicks and missed field goals for touchdowns than any team in the league during that same time.

In his first season as head coach of the Mustangs, he became the first coach in AFL history to guide a team that started worse than 0-3 to the post-season (the Mustangs started 0-5).

Frazier has three children (a son: Donnie Joe and twin daughters, Jolenna and Brianna). He graduated with a Bachelors of Science and Masters in Physical Education from East Texas State University. Frazier spent four seasons as head coach of Cumby High School, where he was one of the youngest head coaches in the state of Texas and complied a 33-25-2 record and winning three district championships.

He next spent eleven years at Cisco College and was promoted to head coach in 1985 where he won a conference championship and made three state playoff appearances with a 43-25-2 record. He still ranks as Cisco's winningest coach in school history.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from October 30, 2003


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central