Jared Frayer

2012 Olympian Jared Frayer enters his fourth season as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech where he has earned a reputation nationally as an ace recruiter and a tactical on-mat coach under head coach Tony Robie.

In just his second season in Blacksburg, Frayer helped guide Mekhi Lewis to the program's first national title in 2019. Then five years later, Frayer would help the Hokies strike gold yet again as Caleb Henson won the program's second title in the 2023-2024 season. With Frayer's help, Lewis created more history and became the first four-time NCAA All-American and just the second four-time ACC Champion in program history to end his legendary Virginia Tech career. The Hokies would lead the conference with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Kansas City with two other All-Americans in Bryce Andonian and Thomas Stewart, Jr. to extend Tech's streak of three or more All-Americans for the 11th straight-season. Andonian finished his career with a third All-American honor to become just the seventh three-timer for the Hokies to end an electric career. With Frayer in his corner, Henson would be named ACC Wrestler of the Year for his championship performance.
 
The 100th year of Virginia Tech wrestling proved yet to be historic once again as the Hokies finished ninth at the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma for yet another top-10 finish. Frayer helped guide the Hokies to a second-best All-American finish in program history with five finding the podium led by Mekhi Lewis (4th), Caleb Henson (5th), Eddie Ventresca (7th), Sam Latona (7th), and Bryce Andonian (7th). Tech also made history by autoqualifying ten wrestlers to the national tournament for the first time and just the second time the program has sent ten to the NCAA Championships. The Hokies also won a share of the ACC Regular Season title, two individual ACC Champions (Lewis, Henson), and ACC Freshman of the Year for Henson's phenomenal debut season. Frayer was monumental in the development of Henson and Ventresca through the season as the duo were only one of two pairs of freshmen to find the podium in Tulsa. Frayer was also recognized for a lifetime of service as he was inducted into the Florida Chapter of the Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

In 2021-2022, the Hokies secured another top-10 finish including marking history as Mekhi Lewis became the first two-time finalist in program history. Lewis was joined by Korbin Myers and Bryce Andonian to give Tech three All-Americans for the ninth-straight season and produce a conference leading finish and the fourth most points scored as a team in program history. Frayer was pivotal in Andonian's first career All-American honor to help the Hokies extend their All-America streak dating back to 2013. The Hokies took home three individual ACC titles in Myers, Nathan Traxler, and Lewis who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Lewis also garnered ACC Wrestler of the Year honors for the second time in his career - the first Hokie to receive the honor twice - for his ACC Championship and his runner-up finish in Detroit. Prior to the season, Frayer would coach Andonian to a bronze medal finish at the 2021 United World Wrestling Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia to give the Hokies just their third ever world championship medalist. 

Frayer was instrumental in 2020-2021 season to help guide the Hokies to a historic season, helping pilot the first undefeated season in program history since 1956-57. At 9-0, the Hokies completed their longest undefeated season in program history, topping 1954-55’s 8-0 mark. Tech won its fourth ACC Dual Meet Title after posting a perfect 5-0 ACC dual record, the second such title and fourth ACC Championship during Frayer's tenure in Blacksburg.

During the 2019-20 season, Frayer played a role in helping Hunter Bolen to his first ACC title at the 2020 ACC Championships. He also mentored Bryce Andonian through his transition of redshirt to varsity wrestler in the middle of the season.

On the international scene, Frayer traveled with Mekhi Lewis and Ty Walz while they were competing to qualify for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Both wrestlers qualified for the event prior to its postponement due to COVID-19.

In 2018-19, Frayer played a critical role in mentoring Lewis, who won a 2018 Junior World championship in freestyle and a 2019 NCAA championship. Frayer traveled with Lewis to Slovakia where the redshirt freshman won a gold medal competing in his first international freestyle tournament. In the college season, Frayer worked closely with Lewis again on his way to winning Virginia Tech wrestling’s first national championship.
 
Along with Lewis, Frayer coached two other All-Americans and ACC Champions in David McFadden and Zack Zavatsky. The Hokies finished in the top 11 at NCAAs for the eighth consecutive season and placed in the top two at ACCs for the seventh straight year.

Frayer helped lead Tech to the 2018 ACC championship in his first season in Blacksburg. He coached three All-Americans and five ACC champions in a year where the Hokies finished 10th at nationals.
 
Frayer returned to the college coaching ranks at Virginia Tech in 2017 after spending two years as a sales representative for Stryker Spine, selling spine implants to orthopedic spine and neurosurgeons in the greater Tampa Bay area.
 
Prior to coming to Blacksburg, Frayer was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Oklahoma, where he was a two-time All-American and a Big 12 champion. Frayer returned to Norman in 2011 after a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Wisconsin. He coached the Badgers to consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships (2010-11) and helped develop seven All-Americans and an individual national champion in Andrew Howe. On the recruiting trail, he brought the nation’s No. 4-ranked recruiting class to Madison in 2011.
 
Frayer previously served as a strength and conditioning coach at Iowa for the 2008-09 season and was an assistant coach for three years at Harvard from 2003-06. In Cambridge, Frayer headed the Crimson’s recruiting efforts and coached five All-Americans and an NCAA champion in Jesse Jantzen.
 
A two-time team captain and a two-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, Frayer left Oklahoma with a 129-38 career record and was the NCAA runner-up at 149 pounds as a senior in 2002. He was also the recipient of the Wade Schalles Award in 2001 for recording the most pins of any collegiate wrestler that season.
 
After graduating from Oklahoma in 2002 with a degree in secondary education, Frayer went on to win the 2010 U.S. Open Championship and was named to the United States national team five times. At the U.S. World and Olympic Team Trials, he turned in seven top six finishes. Frayer represented the United States at the 2012 London Olympics wrestling freestyle at 66 kg. Frayer clinched his spot on the team by famously defeating Brent Metcalf in the finals of the Olympic Trials in at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
 
He and his wife, Nicole, live in Blacksburg with their two daughters, Khloe and Beckett.