Althoff hires longtime assistant as new head football coach
Austin Frazier has been an Althoff Crusader for most of his life.
Just one of several family members which includes his dad, brothers and cousins to attend and play football at Althoff, Frazier knows all about the school’s traditions.
Frazier 34, was officially named Allthoff’s new head football coach on Friday, taking over for Ken Turner who resigned earlier this month to become the new coach at St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis.
Turner led Althoff to a record of 79-51 in his 12 years as the Crusaders’ head coach. The Crusaders finished 3-6 in 2019.
“I’m really excited about this opportunity to lead this football program. Althoff and Althoff football has been a part of my life and that of my family for as long as I can remember,” Frazier said. “It is a crazy time right now with what is going on in our country, but whenever the governor says we are allowed to go back to school, we’re anxious to get back in the weight room and get to work.”
A 2004 graduate of Althoff , Frazier was a three-year starter at linebacker for coach Glenn Schott. He also played running back as a senior and played a key role in Althoff winning 22 of 24 games in his final two years.
Frazier then went on to play college football for one season at Illinois College in Jacksonville before completing his education at Lindenwood University-Belleville.
Frazier served as the defensive coordinator at Mater Dei High School from 2009-12 before joining the Crusaders coaching staff in 2014. He has been Althoff’s defensive coordinator for the past six years while also serving as the strength and conditioning coach. Frazier teaches American Literature at Althoff.
Frazier said he learned a great deal from both Schott and Turner.
“I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to play for both coach Schott and coach Turner, who was assistant when I played in high school,” Frazier said. “I think we were all a little surprised when coach (Turner) resigned, but with his son going to be a freshman next year, this gives his the opportunity to be closer to him.
“Coach Turner bled blue and gold for the past 20 years. He was a tremendous mentor to me not only in the x’s and o’s of coaching high school football, but in teaching and other parts of life and helping the student-athletes here at Althoff High School.”
Althoff Athletic Director Greg Leib said he had seven applicants for the vacant head coaching position but feels strongly that Frazier is someone who can continue to make the Crusaders strong in the future.
“I was very pleased at the number of quality applicants we had for the job, but Austin (Frazier) stood out. He has a tremendous passion for coaching and and a tremendous passion for Althoff and its student-athletes,” Leib said. “He has been here as a coach for several years and has been very loyal. We felt he should be rewarded for that loyalty.”
While numbers are not great in the Crusaders program and wins have been hard to come by in the past two years, Frazier sees a brighter future for the Crusaders on the gridiron.
“We will be an aggressive hard-nosed football team that will work hard and get after it,” Frazier said. “Our numbers have been a little low, but with the players we have returning and others who have talked about playing next year along with our incoming class next year we hope our numbers will improve.”
This story was originally published March 21, 2020 at 9:32 PM.
