BOISE, Idaho — When the Boise State football team had an opening for a new EDGE coach earlier this offseason, head coach Andy Avalos decided to hire from within the Bronco family.
After serving as a graduate assistant for the past three seasons, former All-Mountain West first teamer Jabril Frazier was promoted to the full-time role, following Kelly Poppinga's departure for BYU.
Jumping into his first assistant coaching job, Frazier said it is a way to give back to the city, the program and the fan base that has done so much for him.
"For how much Boise has done for me, coming here as a player, going through the things I went through as a player, it really turned me into the person I am today," Frazier said.
Frazier stood in front of the local media on Monday for the first time since his days as a player, describing the sensation of being promoted at his alma mater.
"When [Avalos] gave me that call and told me that I'm now the EDGE coach, I almost cried – teared up," Frazier said. "This place has done a lot for me, so I owe it all back to this place."
Four season and 18 sacks at Boise State would get Frazier into a training camp with the New York Jets, but that's as far his pro career would go.
"I had to move in back with my parents," Frazier said. "That was really a humbling experience for me, but I look back and I'm like, 'wow, they really made me find out who I was.' They built my faith stronger and it made me really figure out what's next in life."
His path off the gridiron brought him back to the sidelines as a coach, returning to the Broncos as a graduate assistant in 2020. The opportunity in the City of Trees also reunited him with a pair of role models from his playing days.
"Coach Spencer Danielson and coach Andy Avalos, they're the reason why I wanted to become a coach," Frazier said. "The impact they made on me as a player, that's what I can do for the guys that are in the program right here. We talk about it every single day, you know, 'how can you make your impact?'"
As someone who has been in the shoes of a student-athlete at Boise State, Frazier wants to use his experience to give current Broncos the best experience possible.
"I just try to be that shining light," Frazier said. "What I learned as a football player, how can I help them? How can I make these guys reach their goals and aspirations? To play at the next level or not even play at the next level, but to become better men."
Frazier's one-year deal is worth $120,000.
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