Former Colorado two-way player George Frazier V joins Buddy Stephens’ EMCC football staff

SCOOBA – California native and former two-way football player at the University of Colorado, George Frazier V has been named as an assistant football coach on head coach Buddy Stephens' East Mississippi Community College staff. Stephens made the announcement this week.

"George brings with him a proven track record of developing players and mentoring elite talent on the defensive side of the football, and we're thrilled to have him and his family as part of the EMCC family," Stephens said. "His passion for the game as a former two-way college player makes him an extremely valuable asset to our football program here at East Mississippi."

Frazier arrives on the Scooba campus following a three-year coaching stint as the defensive line coach at Florida International University, where he was reunited with his former Colorado head coach and current Mississippi State senior defensive analyst Mike MacIntyre. During his three seasons at the Miami-based school, Frazier was instrumental in assisting his former head coach during their first year together on FIU's staff by helping change the culture of the football program while the Panthers quadrupled their win total from the previous season. Having been named as a rising star among assistant football coaches at the collegiate level by On3 in 2023, Frazier worked with All-Conference USA defensive linemen Jordan Guerad, Davon Strickland, Steven Shannon and Jeramy Passmore at FIU.

"I am both excited and blessed for this opportunity to join this outstanding EMCC football coaching staff under Coach (Buddy) Stephens' guidance," Frazier said. "As five-time national champions, the Lions continue to be a major force within the junior college football world. The standard for greatness through winning championships has been firmly established, and I'm very much looking forward to maintaining that success while also continuing to grow as a football coach."   

Frazier's initial full-time college coaching experience came during a two-season stint as the defensive line coach at the University of Tennessee at Martin. During an abbreviated season in the spring of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Skyhawks' defense proved to be a dynamic unit that ranked among the upper tier of several Ohio Valley Conference team defensive statistical categories.

Following his collegiate playing days on the gridiron at Colorado, Frazier's coaching career began in 2018 as a defensive line coach at Monrovia High School in his native California. He followed his prep stint with consecutive one-year stops as a graduate assistant defensive coach at Ole Miss in 2019 and the next year at the University of Memphis.

Frazier's association with MacIntyre began as a versatile five-year stalwart for the Colorado Buffaloes. While seeing significant playing time as a tight end and at fullback on offense, Frazier also saw action at defensive end and on special teams as a blocker and protector on kicks. As a fifth-year senior, he closed out his playing career by further establishing himself as CU's first true two-way player with more than 100 snaps on both sides of the line of scrimmage during the same season since the platoon era ended in 1964. Frazier was on the field for 506 total plays in 2017, which comprised 266 snaps on offense, 147 on defense and 93 on special teams with punt, field goal and PAT units. He initially entered the 100-100 club as a redshirt freshman at Colorado by having been in on 101 offensive plays from scrimmage as well as 195 snaps on defense in 2014.

As one of just 10 players in program history at the time to have served as a two-year team captain at Colorado, Frazier was CU's nominee for the 2017 Paul Hornung Award as one of 46 players nationally to be put on the award's preseason watch list that honors the most versatile players in major college football. Among the team honors Frazier received during his playing stint in Boulder were the Eddie Crowder Award (outstanding team leadership) and the Dick Anderson Award (outstanding toughness) during his junior season when the Buffs claimed the Pac-12 South Division title and played in the Alamo Bowl. As a sophomore, Frazier was the recipient of the Daniel Graham Award (most improved big skill player), and off the field, he was the recipient of the team's Dean Jacob Van Ek Award winner for academic excellence following his senior year.

Having also garnered honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic Team honors as a senior, Frazier concurrently graduated from Colorado in December 2017 with a bachelor's degree in ethnic studies and a master's degree in educational foundations, policy and practice.

A native of Duarte, Calif., Frazier was a three-time, first-team All-California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section/Mid Valley Division selection at Monrovia High School. He also received first-team, all-area recognition by the Pasadena Star-News and was a two-time defensive player of the year as an All-Rio Hondo League standout. Along with seeing action on the gridiron at quarterback, tight end and linebacker, Frazier also lettered three years in basketball and participated two years in track and field at the prep level.

Frazier's father, George Frazier IV, played safety at Fresno State, and an uncle, Damon Griffin, was a wide receiver at Oregon before spending three seasons in the NFL with San Francisco, Cincinnati and St. Louis.

Frazier and his wife, Amy (Ovando), are the proud parents of two sons – Nathan, 6, and George VI, who was born last year.