WEBMASTER NOTE: Coach Joe Frager is a former Starters coach.

April 19, 2007

     FAIRFIELD — The feeling turned out to be mutual, but Joe Frager had a good feeling as soon as he visited Fairfield University. After an interview for the school's women's basketball coaching job, as he was driving away, he had a sense that he had just spent the day at "a very special place," he said. "I desperately wanted to be a part of Fairfield University."
     The Stags showed interest, too. The match became official Wednesday morning, when the school introduced Frager as the school's fifth women's basketball coach.
     "We're going to build a women's basketball program based on the core values of Fairfield University," Frager said. Frager leaves Southern Connecticut after nine seasons and the 2007 Division II national championship. His Owls teams went 189-83; the 2005-06 team allowed a record-low 44.1 points per game.
     He said it was difficult to say goodbye to his Owls team Tuesday afternoon, but that of all the open jobs, Fairfield's was the only one for which he would have left Southern. "I said from the beginning that I was really impressed with (Fairfield's) commitment to excellence," Frager said. "That's the goal. They don't want to compete; they want to compete well."
     Frager is a Southbury resident and was a Shelton High standout in both basketball and baseball; he played baseball at UConn. Before joining Southern in 1998, he coached Seymour High to three state championships, two with future UConn standout Maria Conlon. "It's certainly helpful that he's somebody who understands the region, understands how to recruit to it," Fairfield athletic director Gene Doris said. "The fact that he's scrimmaged our program the last two years has a lot to do with what knowledge he has of our program, where we're at."
     Frager was one of three finalists, along with UConn assistant Jamelle Elliott and Rutgers assistant Carlene Mitchell. "We're very excited," Doris said. "It's very different to have somebody who can tell a team, 'I coached a team to a national championship.' That will be something our student-athletes will benefit from."
     Doris said he was impressed with the way Southern built to a national title, improving each of the past three seasons to a 34-2 record this season.
     Dianne Nolan, who stepped down last month after 28 years as Fairfield head coach, left a team that returns 13 players. The program graduated only three seniors, and they took part in the search. "A lot of times when you inherit a team, you inherit it with the cupboard bare," Frager said. "That's not the case at all."
     Frager met the team for the first time Wednesday morning after a team workout. Laura Scinto, who has been Frager's assistant since their days at Seymour, will join him at Fairfield. Frager said he hopes to talk with members of Nolan's coaching staff and finalize the rest of his coaches within a couple of weeks. "There's a strong desire to win here," Frager said. "They want to win MAAC championships, and that's what I want to achieve. If I did not believe there was a strong commitment to excellence, top to bottom, I wouldn't be here."
     The Frager file
     WHO — Joe Frager
     WHAT — Fairfield women's basketball coach
     AGE — 44
     RESUME — Hired Wednesday as Fairfield's fifth coach in 33 years. ... Won 2007 Division II national championship with Southern Connecticut (34-2). Molton/Women's D-II Bulletin national coach of the year. ... Posted 189-83 record at Southern in nine seasons. ... Went 208-58 in 11 seasons at Seymour High, 1987-98, winning three state titles. ... Former Shelton High baseball and basketball standout. — MICHAEL FORNABAIO