Rick Frazier Remembered

Randy Snow
Friday November 23, 2007

I was extremely saddened to hear of the passing of former Grand Rapids Rampage head coach Rick Frazier on Friday, November 16. Though he was only with the Rampage for one season, I found him to be a very dedicated and professional coach who always had time to talk to me after games. Frazier died unexpectedly at the age of 53 after a bout with pneumonia. 

Frazier was the defensive coordinator of the Rampage in 2004 under first year head coach Bob Cortese. When the team’s record slipped to 1-10 after the first 11 games, Cortese was let go by the club and Frazier took over as the interim head coach. The move made little difference that season, however, as the team went on to lose its last five games under Frazier and finished with a disappointing 1-15 record. Frazier interviewed for the head coaching job after the season, but the team hired Sparky McEwen instead.

Frazier was the head coach of the AFL Milwaukee Mustangs from 1998-2001. He also coached in arenafootball2 with the Norfolk Nighthawks (2003), Quad City Steamwheelers (2005-2006) and this past season was the defensive coordinator of the Bakersfield Blitz.    

I ran into Coach Frazier in July of 2006 when my sons and I traveled to Moline, Illinois to see Quad City take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers. I talked to him on the field after the game and he still had the same passion and intensity for the game that he had shown in Grand Rapids. Regardless of what level he was coaching at, you could tell that he loved coaching and loved Arena Football. I will always be grateful that I had the chance to know him, even if it was only for a short time. He was a class act and will be greatly missed by all who knew him in both leagues.