IUP track & field and cross country coaching legend Ed Fry passed away last Saturday at the age of 80 at his home in Somerset.
Fry coached both men’s programs from 1966 until his retirement in 2009, and helped start the women’s programs in 1978. In all, he coached men’s teams for 43 years, women’s track and field for 30 and women’s cross country for 29.
Fry coached 10 student-athletes to track & field individual national titles and 89 to All-American status. Twenty-eight of his athletes are in the IUP Athletic Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2010, and he’s also a member of the Pittsburgh Marathon Hall of Fame and the DePaul University Hall of Fame. Fry graduated from DePaul in 1962.
He had more than 100 combined All-Americans and over 220 individual PSAC champions, and guided his teams to 13 team conference titles. His 1977 men’s and 1985 women’s cross country teams each finished third at their respective NCAA national championship meets.
Ed Fry was also a world-class runner. Among his best performances was a 17th-place finish in the Boston Marathon in 1978, where he was the sixth American to cross the finish. He also set an age-group record and won the 1975 Submaster Olympic 10,000-meter race in Toronto.
With all of his athletic success, Fry also taught piano and music theory as an instructor in the IUP School of Music for more than four decades.
FROM IUP ATHLETICS:
“Ed Fry was a true pioneer and anchor of tremendous track & field and cross country programs here at IUP. He was such a wonderful influence for so many of his students and student-athletes, whether it was on the track, in the classroom, in the real world. He will be missed.”
Todd Garzarelli, Athletic Director
“Ed was more than a coach; he was a friend, a motivator and there was never any doubt when I got married in 1981, I asked him to be my best man. His wife Betsy sang at our wedding. I believe there were many weddings where Ed played the piano and Betsy sang.
He pushed his athletes hard, but never harder than he pushed himself. I remember literally crawling to the cafeteria after a tough interval workout, throwing down some food before they closed, and then dragging myself back to the dorms. Absolutely the most competitive person I ever met. I was fortunate to be there when we had some pretty good teams, including a third place finish at the NCAA nationals in 1977. He took a bunch of “Ok” runners and turned them into overachievers. His sense of humor and laugh were contagious.
Later on in life, when he wasn’t able to run, he still swam every day and worked out on a stationary bike. Disc golf became a passion; it took me eight years to finally beat him in a round. When I texted him, ‘Ed, thanks for letting me win today’, he responded, ‘I wouldn’t even let my grandmother win!’”
Mike Higgins ’79
Former track & field/cross country student-athlete
“Coach Fry was a guiding force that touched countless lives, including mine, through years of education and coaching. As the current uncertain times remind us, this is needed now more than ever. He will continue to live on as a legend of IUP!”
Chad Hurley ’99
Former track & field/cross country student-athlete
“He came to practice every day with an infectious smile, a positive attitude and an unwavering commitment to making each of us better. Regardless of talent level, Coach valued you as a person and as a contributor to the program. I have been blessed to have been around some amazing competitors, none more so than Coach. His selfless spirit as an educator, coupled with his unmatched competitive tenacity and work ethic are engrained in each of us who were blessed to have called him, ‘Coach.’”
Brett Halter ’93
Former track & field/cross country student-athlete
