Coach Fry Honored At Lettermen's Dinner

[MeanGreen61]

Former coach Fry honored at UNT lettermen’s dinner

10:22 AM CDT on Saturday, June 3, 2006

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle

It has been nearly 10 years since Hayden Fry last coached a college football game at the University of Iowa, the last stop in his career that also included stints at North Texas and SMU.

His influence is still alive, though, thanks to his former assistants and players who have gone on to become head coaches. The group was one Fry spoke of Friday night at the Mean Green Athletic Center.

Fry, who coached the Mean Green from 1973-78, was honored along with his former assistant coach Bill Brashier and UNT president Norval Pohl for their contributions to the athletic department by the UNT Lettermen’s Association at a dinner that served as the precursor to today’s Zeke Martin and Friends golf tournament at Robson Ranch.

Several coaches who got their start under Fry came to honor him, including Brashier and Andy Everest.

A third will arrive in Denton today. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops missed Friday’s dinner, but is scheduled to play with Fry and Brashier in the golf tournament.

“Those guys are all like family to me,” Fry said of his former players and assistants who are now head coaches. “I have been very fortunate to stay close to every one of them. I am extremely proud. They all do a good job.”

Stoops is among the most prominent of the 26 members of the fraternity. The former Iowa defensive back won the national title at OU in 2000 and has captured three Big 12 titles in his first seven seasons with the Sooners.

“The Stoops brothers all came through Iowa and were great players,” Brashier said. “When we first went to Iowa, the defensive secondary coach told me about a lot of players and he never mentioned Bob Stoops. After the first spring workout we had in an old gym, I told Hayden that he was the best one out there.”

Stoops went on to become an honorable mention All-American at Iowa under Fry and Brashier.

Fry later helped Stoops advance his career when he helped him land a job as the defensive coordinator at Florida before he took over at OU.

Andy Everest, another Mean Green assistant and member of the UNT Hall of Fame who went on to coach in Europe, said he learned several tricks of the coaching trade from Fry that helped him during his career.

“Hayden was a great leader and taught all of us concepts we used as coaches,” Everest said. “He was genuine, but also taught his players discipline and the importance of doing things together.”

Fry can see those lessons carried on while following the coaching careers of his former players and assistants who are now head coaches.

Fry and Brashier will get a chance to catch up with one of those coaches today when they are scheduled to play with Stoops in the golf tournament.

“When Bob got to OU they were down,” Brashier said. “He brought the old players back and got them interested and did the right things. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

[FirefightnRick]

I wished I could have attended these two events. Those mentioned above won't be the only outstanding coaches in attendance today at the golf tournament. Todd Dodge is suppose to play in it as well?

God Bless Hayden Fry!

Rick

[GMoney]

I wished I could have attended these two events. Those mentioned above won't be the only outstanding coaches in attendance today at the golf tournament. Todd Dodge is suppose to play in it as well?

God Bless Hayden Fry!

Rick

FFR you could have. It's the Lettermen's tournament but it's open to the public. Anyone who pays either for dinner or golf can attend. Look for it next year. It's always the first or second weekend in June.

Edited June 4, 2006 by GMoney

[FirefightnRick]

Thanks G. I actually was invited but couldn't get out of working a double shift this weekend. Maybe next year.

Rick