Allen “Chiz” Frye died in 1968, but his accomplishments as a Whitesboro High football and basketball coach remain legend in the Utica area. Between 1931 and 1965, Frye coached football, basketball and baseball at one time or another at the high school. For many years, he coached all three sports. Under Frye’s guidance, the Whitesboro teams blossomed from mediocrity into perennial champions.
“Chiz” coached the Whitesboro gridiron squads to a combined record of 157 wins, 55 losses and 12 ties during the 1931-65 period. Of the many successful teams, five were unbeaten and united while two others were undefeated with two draws. Frye’s football units put together winning streaks of 18 games during one stretch and 20 contests during another skein.
While Frye’s grid squads were tough, his basketball teams were extraordinary. When old timers around Whitesboro start talking about the “glory years” in basketball, they’re usually referring to the 1948 through 1952 teams under “Chiz.” During those four campaigns, Whitesboro won an amazing 79 contests while losing just three. Included among these victories was a winning streak of 41 games. If one adds to these the 14-4 finish in 1947, Whitesboro High posted a five-year basketball record of 93 wins and seven losses.
In 1961, “Chiz” was inducted into the Utica College Hall of Fame for exemplary dedication to both community and athletics. Posthumous awards bestowed upon Frye include induction into the Whitesboro Alumni Hall of Fame in 1969; the Notre Dame Hall of Fame for his contribution to the sport of basketball; and the Utica Olympics Hall of Fame in 1979. The Whitesboro High football facility was also named in honor of Frye.
A native of Brownsville, “Chiz” was a standout basketball center on the national champion Manlius Academy squad before entering Cortland in 1928. An exceptional athlete, Frye played varsity baseball, football and basketball at Cortland. He captained the basketball team and won the Outstanding Basketball Player Award. During his senior year, “Chiz” was vice president of Kappa Kappa Kappa.
While at Cortland, Frye met Dorothy Ryan, a 1931 graduate, whom he married in 1932. Mrs. Frye was a leading figure in women’s athletics at Whitesboro High until her retirement in 1973. The Fryes have four children.
