A native of Westerville, Ohio, Frye attended Muskingum College—now known as Muskingum University—in New Concord, Ohio, where he played football, was team captain as a senior in 1980, and graduated in 1981. He earned a master's degree at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio before returning to Muskingum as head wrestling coach and assistant football coach in 1985. In 1987, Frye was named the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Wrestling Coach of the Year.
Frye joined the coaching staff at Centre in 1989 as head coach in track and field and an assistant in football under Joe McDaniel.[1] He succeeded McDaniel as head football coach after the 1997 season.[2][3][4]