Dennis Fryzel

Bio

The fact that Dennis Fryzel is in his second season as a head foot­ball coach at a major college is no surprise.

Yet, the second coming of Fryzel is sort of a surprise. At Tampa, followers have come to expect their head coach to stay around for one season. After all, it happened with Fryzel's two predecessors.

"There is no way I want to leave at this time," Fryzel says. "I've got something going -the program is the product of myself and my staff -we want to see the results. I do not want to be coaching somewhere else and watching another man complete the house after I built the foundation."

"Enthusiasm has never given anyone a first down, but it is what has made Fryzel. It fits him better than his uniform." -BOB CHICK, Sports Editor, St. Petersburg Independent

Enthusiastic is the best word one can find to describe Fryzel's coaching techniques and his at­titude in directing one of the fastest moving major college foot­ball programs in the country.

He takes tremendous pride in the UT football program and its players. This can be readily seen on the field of play.

"He has the same rah-rah about him on the field and in the locker room as did Bruce. Likes to slap people on the back, punch them for emphasis of a remark, enjoys slamming his fist into the palm of his other hand." -TOM McEWEN, Sports Editor, Tampa Tribune

"I believe strongly in a firm player-coach relationship," Fryzel says. "If the players know you are leveling with them, they aren't go­ing to try and take things easy. They will work hard because they know we are both working toward the same goal.

"When a player makes a good hit on the field and looks my way on the sidelines he can see I'm just as excited about the tackle as he is."

Since taking over the head coaching position, Fryzel has been throughout the state preaching the gospel about the UT football program.

"Fryzel is out stumping like an old-fashioned evangelist, eager to carry the word about Tampa foot­ball and its long, sometimes tor­turous, increasingly successful efforts to become known and recognized as one of the nation's major college teams. Young and enthusiastic, he is an excellent salesman for his ever-improving product." -BOB BASS/NE, Sports Editor, Palm Beach Post

And, evidently his on-the-go schedule which saw him on the road for speaking and recruiting dates on 24 of 30 days in May is beginning to pay dividends. This fall 22 of the 24 freshmen who report to the Spartan mentor played their high school ball in Florida.

No doubt, Fryzel's age and per­sonality were big factors in per­suading those high school stan­douts to continue their education along the Hillsborough River.