Dolphins hire Willard grad Frye as QB coach

MIAMI — Dolphins coach Brian Flores has dipped into the college ranks for two new offensive assistant coaches, including a quarterbacks coach who previously worked with Tua Tagovailoa.Central Michigan offensive coordinator and former NFL quarterback Charlie Frye — a 2000 Willard graduate — will be the Dolphins' new quarterbacks coach, replacing Robby Brown, who served one year in that role. The Dolphins parted ways with Brown on Saturday.Bucky Brooks, an NFL Network analyst and former NFL scout, noted on Twitter that Frye was one of Tagovailoa's coaches at the Elite 11 competition for top high school quarterbacks. Frye, 39, "has great chemistry with him and understands how to craft plays around his skills," Brooks said on Twitter."Don't underestimate the value of that previous relationship and connection. Frye is one of the best teachers and communicators that I've been around. He is OUTSTANDING with young QBs and he simplifies the game in a way that makes it easy for them. A+ hire with Tua's long-term development in mind."Tagovailoa was the No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. He helped to lead Alabama to back-to-back National Championship Game appearances during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, winning the former and being named MVP.Tagovailoa won several other awards and honors for the 2018 season, including the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards, as well as being named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. In 2019, he suffered a dislocated hip during a game that prematurely ended his season.In his rookie season at Miami, Tagovailoa threw for 1,814 yards with 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in nine starts. The Dolphins narrowly missed out on the NFL playoffs in 2020.Frye, a third-round pick by the Browns out of Akron in 2005, started 23 games in a five-year NFL career, including three seasons with Cleveland, one in Seattle and one in Oakland. He was 7-16 as a starter, with a career 69.7 passer rating. Frye completed 62 percent of his passes for 4,154 yards with 17 TDs and 29 INTs.Prior to his professional career, Frye became a legend at Willard High School and Akron University. He threw for 6,209 yards and 64 TDs while playing for the Crimson Flashes (1997-99), including a 2,601-yard season in 12 games in 1999.At Akron, Frye also threw for 64 career TDs from 2001-04. He totaled 11,049 career passing yards for the Zips while completing 64 percent of his pass attempts. Frye was also the 2004 Mid-American Conference MVP and the 2005 Senior Bowl MVP.The Browns selected him with the 67th overall selection of the third round in the 2005 NFL Draft. in his first season, he set the Browns rookie record for single-game passer rating (136.7) in his pro debut vs. Jacksonville.Frye's coaching resume includes offensive coordinator jobs at high schools in Orlando and Apopka in Florida. He then became the receivers coach at NCAA Division II Ashland University in 2018, where he was reunited with Lee Owens, also his head coach at Akron.Frye then moved on to become the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Central Michigan the past two seasons. He also was director of player development at the University of Florida in 2016 and 2017.Under Frye and head coach Jim McElwain, Central Michigan finished 3-3 and 44th in the country in total offense in 2020.The Dolphins coaching staff will coach one of the teams at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. on Monday. Reflector Sports Editor Mark Hazelwood contributed to this story