Dillard football coach Eddie Frasier dies at 34. He was Dolphins’ coach of the year
%20Troy%20Drayton,%20%26%20High%20School%20Coach%20of%20the%20Year%20Eddie%20Frasier.jpg "Eddie Frasier (right) receives the Miami Dolphins’ coach of the year award after leading Dillard to an undefeated regular season in 2019.")
Eddie Frasier returned to his alma mater last decade determined to bring Dillard back to prominence, first by working as a middle school coach and then with the junior varsity team.
Last year, he took the helm of the program and led the Panthers to an undefeated regular season.
On Monday, the coach died at 34. The cause of his death is not yet known.
Frasier graduated from Dillard in 2003 and went on to attend Florida A&M. He returned to Fort Lauderdale after college and began coaching in the youth ranks before returning to the Panthers in 2013 to coach Dillard’s middle school team. As his players moved up to junior varsity and eventually varsity, so did Frasier. In 2019, he finally became the varsity head coach and put together a historic debut season.
The Panthers put together a perfect regular season and enter the 2021 season riding a 17-game regular-season winning streak. The Miami Dolphins rewarded Frasier with their George F. Smith High School Coach of the Year award, making him one of 32 finalists for the NFL’s Don Shula High School Coach of the Year award. The undefeated regular season included a win against eventual Class 8A champion Columbus and a victory against Pahokee, which reached the Class 1A semifinals.
As news of Frasier’s death circulated throughout the South Florida football community Monday, an outpouring of support, memories and thanks flooded social media from players, coaches and teachers alike.
On Instagram, Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Jonathan Ford shared a photograph of himself with Frasier, whom he credited as “the reason why I got back on the field.”
In Frasier’s lone season as Dillard’s coach, the Panthers opened the year with 12 consecutive victories before falling to eventual state-champion Central in the Region 4-6A championship. He shook hands with Roland Smith after Dillard’s best season in years came to an end
“You,” the Rockets coach said, “are bringing Dillard back.”
This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 1:44 PM.
