NASHVILLE – Trevecca Nazarene University Director of Athletics Mark Elliott welcomes Joe Frye as the new Director of Cross Country and Track & Field.
Frye comes to the Hill after 13 seasons as an assistant coach with Belmont University Track and Field, where he coached the throws events, led strength and conditioning for the Bruins' cross country and track and field student-athletes, and assisted with recruiting for the track and field programs.
"In order to be a successful coach in today's athletic landscape, you have to strike a balance between home and work, truth and grace, fun and discipline, organization and flexibility, among many other things," Elliott said. "Joe Frye embodies those attributes and exudes our motto of Christian, Scholar, Athlete. I am proud and happy that Joe, Haley, and their family are joining our team. I believe his positive impact on our student-athletes and our programs will be immense."
During his time at Belmont, Frye coached 23 individual conference champions and 18 NCAA Preliminary Round qualifiers in the throws disciplines. He was named the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Outdoor Track and Field Assistant Coach of the Year after helping lead Belmont's throws group to 54 of the Bruins' 130 points at the MVC Outdoor Championships.
As a Bruin student-athlete, Frye had a hall of fame career. He was inducted in the Belmont Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
Originally from Roscommon, Mich., Frye was one of the top throwers in Belmont's NCAA Division I era. He was named Belmont Athlete of the Year and Atlantic Sun Conference Most Valuable Performer in 2010. He was also an NSCA All-American and a USTFCCCA All-Academic scholar-athlete.
Frye said his approach aligns with the department's long-established mantra of Christian, Scholar, Athlete.
"Living begins and ends in Christ," Frye said. "It doesn't matter what we accomplish on the track if our efforts do not glorify the Trinity. Trevecca's long-standing commitment to the Christian, Scholar, Athlete model is something I align with, and it will be at the core of our building the next stage of track and field and cross country at Trevecca."
"The foundation is faith. The support system is academics. The ultimate result is high performance that stems directly from their commitment to the process and structure of a holistic framework, where they are fully supported and held accountable to their goals and the mission of the university."
Frye said the program will continue building from the foundation established by the leadership of Mark Elliott and longtime head coach Austin Selby.
"This is a deliberate building process, brought up after the amazing work Mark Elliott and Austin Selby have done to create and establish this program," Frye said. "We are not rewriting the book here; we are just scripting the next chapter.
"Bit by bit, 1% better at a time, we will embrace the Trevecca Christian, Scholar, Athlete model and mentor our team into a new level of competitiveness."
Coaching Resume
In 2024 the Bruins throws group produced three MVC outdoor individual titles. Rebekah Stucker won the shot put and discus, while Madelyn Quinn won the javelin. Stucker also earned MVC Most
Valuable Athlete honors at the conference meet.
Belmont also placed three athletes in all four throwing events at the NCAA Outdoor Championships East First Round for the first time in program history.
Frye helped the Belmont throws group continue its success as the Bruins transitioned from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Missouri Valley Conference in 2022. Indoors, Stucker set program records in the weight throw and the shot put at the MVC Championships. Outdoors, Gray set a program record in the shot put and qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary. Bo Miller became Belmont's first MVC men's champion in the javelin throw.
Frye is a certified USATF Level II coach in both the Throws and Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays disciplines. He also holds the National Strength and Conditioning Association's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification.
Belmont Bruin Resume
During his 2009-10 senior season, Frye won four events and broke two Belmont indoor records. He won the shot put and weight throw at the MTSU Blue Raider Invitational and later won the weight throw and finished second in the shot put at the Atlantic Sun Indoor Championships.
During the 2010 outdoor season, Frye finished in the top two nine times. He broke three Belmont records and became the first Most Outstanding Field Athlete in program history at the Atlantic Sun Outdoor Championships after winning gold in both the hammer throw and discus. He set a Belmont and Atlantic Sun record in the hammer throw and when his time at Belmont was complete, he left with a total of five school records, two of which still stand today.
Frye continued to compete after his Belmont career, qualifying for nine indoor and four outdoor USA National Championships. His highest national finish was fourth overall. He also competed in the hammer throw at the 2016 USA Track and Field Olympic Trials.
A 2010 graduate of Belmont, Frye holds a BBA in Music Business and a master's degree in Sport Administration.
Frye and his wife, Haley, live in Nashville with their three children, Gatlin, Aria and Marcus.
Haley (Nelson) Frye was an all-conference performer on the Belmont women's basketball team coached by Belmont Hall of Fame coach Tony Cross. She earned all-state honors while playing for her hometown team in Scottsboro, Alabama. She also excelled in track and field as a state qualifier in high jump, 300m hurdles, 100m hurdles, and 4x400 meter relay.
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