About the Author

 

Henry Frazier III, PhD was born in Washington, D.C. He is currently the Head Football Coach at Virginia State University.  Dr. Frazier is an educator and teacher at heart.  He was a four-sport student-athlete at Fairmont Heights High School in Capitol Heights, MD., lettering in football, basketball, baseball and golf. Following a standout high school gridiron career under the direction of head coach Ralph Paden, Frazier took his talents to nearby Bowie State University.

Frazier played quarterback for BSU and went 18-3-1 as a starter. He guided the Bulldogs to the NCAA playoffs in 1988 and a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Championship in 1989.

After graduating from Bowie State in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, Frazier began his career as a “Leader of Young People” at Central HS in Capitol Heights, MD where he was a teacher and head football and baseball coach. In his final year at Central HS, Frazier was named Vice Principal where he was able to implement “FALL” Football And Life League, a program designed to uplift young people through applying life and athletic skills in order to excel on and off the field of play.

Following the completion of his master's degree in School Administration/Supervision from Bowie State, Frazier continued to climb the coaching ladder and was named the head football coach at Bowie State University in 1999. In 2001, Frazier led Bowie State to its best season since 1989 with a 7-3 record. Frazier moved the BSU program to another level during the 2002 season with their first-ever CIAA Eastern Division title and CIAA championship game appearance. Continuing the winning tradition in 2003, he guided the Bulldogs to their third consecutive winning season with a second place finish in the CIAA Eastern Division and birth in the Pioneer Bowl. Frazier’s 26 victories at his departure from Bowie State was the most wins in school history.

Frazier spent the next 7 years (2003 – 2010) as head football coach at Prairie View A&M University leading one of the greatest turnarounds in NCAA history.  He took over a program that experienced the nation’s longest losing streak from 1989-98, dropping 80 straight contests prior to his arrival. Frazier and his staff built one of the top programs in the country.  In 2007, the Panthers enjoyed its first winning season since 1976 and Frazier was selected as Coach of the Year by the College Sporting News and the Black College Sports Page.  Frazier continued to rewrite the record books in 2008 as he led the Panthers to a No.25 national ranking after the team posted its best record since 1964 with a 9-1 season and was named the Sheridan Broadcast Network/Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year in addition to the American Football Coaches Association Region III FCS Coach of the Year.  In 2009, Frazier guided the Panthers to their first conference championship since 1964 going undefeated in league play and was presented with a host of coaching honors, including SWAC Coach of the Year and a repeat selection as AFCA Region III FCS Coach of the Year. He also became the first African American and the only coach from a historically black college or university to receive the prestigious Eddie Robinson Award, given annually by The Sports Network to the top coach in the Football Championship Subdivision.  Under Frazier's leadership, PVAMU defeated every SWAC institution.

After leaving PVAMU, Frazier became head football coach at North Carolina Central University 2010 -2013 and led them to their first winning season since 2006 with a 6-5 record in 2012.

Frazier successfully completed his Doctoral studies in Educational Leadership from Prairie View A&M University in 2015.

Dr. Frazier went full circle in 2014 returning to his professional beginnings, Prince George’s County Public Schools—serving as Athletic Director at Bladensburg HS until summer 2016.  Dr. Frazier then took on a new assignment as the Athletic Director and Activities Coordinator at The Historic Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Washington, DC—The Nation’s First HS for African Americans where he continued leading young people and developing champions.  For Dr. Frazier’s efforts, he was recognized as Washington, DC Athletic Director of the year in 2018-19.  He also returned to Bowie State University as Special Assistant to the Head Football Coach from 2018-2021.  Dr. Frazier then became Director of Leadership and Character Development at the University of Maryland/College Park for its football program from 2021-2022.  

Dr. Frazier previously could be heard during the fall on XM/Sirius radio broadcasting college football for Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) 2014-2016.  For the 2019 football season, Frazier was a color analyst for ESPN3.  Frazier is a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. initiated in 1987 at then Bowie State College.

In 2014 Henry Frazier III was inducted into the Bowie State University Sports Hall of Fame, in 2016 Coach Frazier and his 2009 football team was inducted into the Prairie View A&M University Hall of Fame, and in 2017 Coach Frazier and his 2002 football team was inducted into the Bowie State University Sports Hall of Fame!