Justin Frye, the Arizona Cardinals’ new offensive line coach, is new to the NFL. It is his first coaching gig at the professional level after years in the college ranks.
He does not have previous coaching connections with head coach Jonathan Gannon and his staff, but he is familiar with people in the building.
Three Cardinals players were on teams where he coached, and he was the direct position coach for two.
He was left tackle Paris Johnson’s position coach at Ohio State. Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. played for Ohio State. Before Ohio State, Frye was the offensive line coach for UCLA 2018-2021. Cardinals center/guard Jon Gaines was at UCLA from 2018-2022, so he was coached by Frye.
Having players he knows has made the early transition better.
“I talk to Paris all the time,” he said when he was introduced on Wednesday. “Jon Gaines; I coached Jon Gaines. Marv being around. So getting a good feel for what the real inner workings were. Knowing that fit. It was a square peg in a square hole. Not vice versa.”
Frye said the news of his addition to Arizona’s staff made Johnson “ecstatic.”
He admitted to a few tears because of the reunion.
That connection with a pair of linemen should help him establish his message to the players early.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.