Henry Frazier III is beginning his second season as Prairie View A&M’s head football coach. In 2004, he was given the task of turning around a football program that had gone 28 years without a winning season.A former coach of the year, Frazier’s record proves he has the tools to turn an organization into a power house. He led the Bowie State Bulldogs to three consecutive winning seasons. He currently holds the record for most victories for any coach at Bowie State. In his first year he got the Panthers off to a 2-0 start, which included a win over archrival Texas Southern in the Labor Day Classic.
This is one of the most anticipated seasons for the Panthers, given that Texas Southern wants revenge and that the pressure is on for them to out-do their 3-8 record for last year, which included two close losses towards the end of the season, Mississippi Valley State 34-42 and Arkansas Pine-Bluff 23-24.
Frazier recently sat down with The Panther to give his take on some of the returning and new players, his goals for this season, and how he feels about coaching at Prairie View.
Simmons: How do you think the returning players will impact this year’s outcome for the season?
Frazier: We are counting on the returning seniors to take us to the next level because we know they are very capable. We are also expecting big things out of the other returning players because they all have a good chemistry to win it all.
Simmons: What about the transfer students and new recruits?
Frazier: We expect them to step in wherever they are needed and play an important role in a winning season this year.
Simmons: What is your goal for this year’s team?
Frazier: Basically, just to win and help Prairie View get out of the media eye of being a bad program for football because of the 29-year slump.
Simmons: How has your goal changed from last year to this year, if it has changed?
Frazier: It really hasn’t changed at all. Really I just want to have a winning season.
Simmons: What do you expect from your players on and off the field?
Frazier: I expect one-hundred percent effort on and off the field. I’m more about developing the man instead of the player. I want to help my players succeed in life and that will help them succeed on the field.
Simmons: How has your coaching staff supported you since you have been coaching?
Frazier: I have absolutely tremendous support from my coaching staff. Even though we lost a lot of coaches, we upgraded in loyalty.
Simmons: If it was one player you could single out to be the unsung leader of the team who would you chose?
Frazier: I couldn’t really single out one but I’m expecting some players to step up this year and be leaders; Michael Hill, Bennet Fagan, Anthony Gibson, Chris Peters, Riante Jones, Van Sawyer, Vincent Mayer, and Marcus King are just a few, I expect big things out of them this year.
Simmons: How would you rate your coaching since you have been coaching here?
Frazier: I’ll leave it up to the critics, media, etc.
Simmons: How have the players taken you in since their last coach?
Frazier: We don’t talk about that because we have a new attitude.
Simmons: Finally what do you expect Prairie View’s record to be at the end of the season?
Frazier: Just a winning season. Over .500. Maybe 6-5 even 7-4. Even playoff-bound.
Simmons: If there was any other sport you could coach what would it be?
Frazier: Golf hands down. I would have the players sick of me because I would always want to practice.