Returning to his alma mater, John Frazier will try to guide UCLA’s track and field program to a national championship, something he just missed out on as a Bruin athlete.
Frazier, who has more than 24 years of track and field coaching experience, returned to UCLA as the new coach of the men’s track and field team. Before he took up coaching, Frazier was a three-time All-American in the shot put as a Bruin.
Despite Frazier’s individual successes, the men’s track and field team came close, but did not win a national championship during his UCLA career. The team did win the year after Frazier graduated, however. Now he says he is excited to get the opportunity to coach the Bruins toward the same goal.
“To be able to go back to your alma mater and be able to help run the show is a good deal for me,” Frazier said.
Frazier’s success as a coach at the University of Tennessee garnered the attention of Mike Maynard, the director of track and field at UCLA, who had just recently overhauled the coaching staff last summer. Maynard was impressed with Frazier’s ability to cultivate young athletes.
“He is renowned for his ability to recruit and develop world-class talent,” Maynard said.
In the national championship that UCLA’s track and field team won in 1987, Frazier felt that he helped the team get there with his contributions leading up to the win. As an athlete, he spent time with recruits who eventually led the Bruins to the 1987 championship. Frazier said he felt fortunate to have another chance to recruit a championship team at UCLA, this time as a coach.
In fact, Frazier has already started recruiting, despite having just recently been named coach. Right after coaching the University of Tennessee through the NCAA championships, Frazier visited Westwood for a couple of days before immediately flying to the East Coast to begin recruitment.
Frazier jumped into recruiting so fast that he didn’t have the chance to meet with many Bruin athletes, according to junior pole vaulter Mike Woepse. However, Woepse already has faith in the coaching hire.
“Coach Maynard did a great job last time of hiring some great coaches to coach the program forward, and he did it again this summer,” Woepse said. “It’ll be a smooth transition, and I’m sure it’ll be a positive transition.”
Frazier hopes to add onto the success of last season, when the men’s track and field team finished tied for No. 12 in the country.
“Where I would look to help increase the success is identifying and getting the best talent to come in and help get the Bruins back to being one of the top programs in the country,” Frazier said.
“We’re just a few athletes away from that happening.”
Compiled by Derrick Li, Bruin Sports contributor.