Ralph Friedgen - Early Life and Education

Early Life and Education

Friedgen was born on April 4, 1947 in Harrison, New York. His father, "Big Ralph" Friedgen, attended Fordham University, where he played from 1938 to 1939, and coached high school football for 30 years. The younger Friedgen worked under his father as a water boy and manager, and the two often attended New York Giants and Jets games together. He attended Harrison High School where he played quarterback on his father's team. John Nugent, the head coach of Harrison's rival Rye High School, recommended that his brother, Maryland head coach Tom Nugent, recruit Friedgen. His recruitment was handled by Lee Corso, then an assistant coach at the school. After his first season at Maryland, Nugent was fired as head coach, and his successor Lou Saban moved Friedgen to fullback to fill in for an injured teammate. The following year, Maryland had a new coach, and Bob Ward again changed Friedgen's position, this time to offensive guard, although he had never blocked before. Upset about the constant turnover at head coach and position changes, Friedgen received a favorable recommendation to transfer from coach Ward, but his father said, "You can transfer, but when you get home, the key you have is not going to fit the door because we're changing the lock. Quitters don't live here." He remained at Maryland as a guard and later said the experience taught him a lesson in perseverance. As an undergraduate, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. After completion of his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1970, Friedgen served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, before later accepting positions on the staffs of The Citadel, William and Mary, and Murray State. Joining him on many of these coaching stops was Frank Beamer, who is the current coach at Virginia Tech.