University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Northern Colorado’s Rosemary Fri Passed Away Sunday
8/16/2024 3:59:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
GREELEY, Colo. – Rosemary Fri, a pioneer at the University of Northern Colorado and with the athletics department passed away Sunday evening. She was 91.
"This is a very sad day for UNC, athletics, and so many former student-athletes," UNC Director of Athletics Darren Dunn said. "Rosemary was a trailblazer in women's athletics and made an enormous impact on our student-athletes, the department and the university. She will be deeply missed, but never forgotten."
Fri, who grew up in Southern California, arrived in Greeley, Colorado, in 1959. She earned a master's degree from Colorado State College (CSC now UNC) in 1961 and became a physical education instructor for CSC in the fall of 1961.
She created the women's tennis program in 1963 and joined the athletic administration as the coordinator of women's athletics two years later, where she developed a 10-sport women's program.
Over the next quarter century, Fri created the women's volleyball program in 1967, five years before the implementation of Title IX. She helped secure the first scholarship for a female student-athlete in 1973.
Fri held the women's athletics director position from 1972-1982 and became the associate athletic director when the men's and women's programs unified in 1982. She retired from her administrative duties in 1991 but continued to coach the tennis program until 2004.
She received the Colorado Sportswoman Pioneer Award in 1984. Fri was among eight individuals inducted into the UNC Athletics Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 1994.
Her foresight and early development of the volleyball program set the Bears up for success with just four coaches, nearly 1,200 wins and a .682 winning percentage over the 56 seasons.
"Rosemary was one of a kind," UNC volleyball head coach Lyndsey Oates said. "She is a legend at UNC and was truly a trailblazer for women's sports. She was a wonderful mentor to me and I was so blessed to coach alongside her in her last several years. She started the volleyball program at UNC and I am so privileged to follow in her footsteps.
The Rosemary Fri Women's Volleyball Scholarship is awarded to student-athletes who participate in the sport. To qualify for this opportunity the applicant must participate in the sport and meet the eligibility requirements of the NCAA, Big Sky Conference, and the University.
Fri earned her bachelor's degree from UCLA. After college, she taught physical education for two years in Anaheim, California, before spending three years as a high school teacher in San Diego, California, before moving to Greeley.
As a tennis coach at UNC, Fri earned the 1981 and 1992 Wilson Division II Women's Coach of the Year Award, the 1992 Sportswoman of Colorado Coach of the Year Award, the 1999 Colorado Tennis Association Bud Robineau Award for outstanding contributions to Colorado Tennis, the 2000 David Freed Award in the inter-mountain area for individual lifetime service to the tennis community and the Tennis Association of Greeley's Rosemary Fri Award for commitment to excellence in Greeley tennis.
Her tennis team won 10 consecutive North Central Conference Championships. She coached two national singles champions, three national doubles champions and 15 All-Americans. She surpassed the 700 coaching victory career milestone in 2001.
There is a celebration of her life before the Bears volleyball match against Florida Saturday, Aug. 31.
"This is a very sad day for UNC, athletics, and so many former student-athletes," UNC Director of Athletics Darren Dunn said. "Rosemary was a trailblazer in women's athletics and made an enormous impact on our student-athletes, the department and the university. She will be deeply missed, but never forgotten."
Fri, who grew up in Southern California, arrived in Greeley, Colorado, in 1959. She earned a master's degree from Colorado State College (CSC now UNC) in 1961 and became a physical education instructor for CSC in the fall of 1961.
She created the women's tennis program in 1963 and joined the athletic administration as the coordinator of women's athletics two years later, where she developed a 10-sport women's program.
Over the next quarter century, Fri created the women's volleyball program in 1967, five years before the implementation of Title IX. She helped secure the first scholarship for a female student-athlete in 1973.
Fri held the women's athletics director position from 1972-1982 and became the associate athletic director when the men's and women's programs unified in 1982. She retired from her administrative duties in 1991 but continued to coach the tennis program until 2004.
She received the Colorado Sportswoman Pioneer Award in 1984. Fri was among eight individuals inducted into the UNC Athletics Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 1994.
Her foresight and early development of the volleyball program set the Bears up for success with just four coaches, nearly 1,200 wins and a .682 winning percentage over the 56 seasons.
"Rosemary was one of a kind," UNC volleyball head coach Lyndsey Oates said. "She is a legend at UNC and was truly a trailblazer for women's sports. She was a wonderful mentor to me and I was so blessed to coach alongside her in her last several years. She started the volleyball program at UNC and I am so privileged to follow in her footsteps.
The Rosemary Fri Women's Volleyball Scholarship is awarded to student-athletes who participate in the sport. To qualify for this opportunity the applicant must participate in the sport and meet the eligibility requirements of the NCAA, Big Sky Conference, and the University.
Fri earned her bachelor's degree from UCLA. After college, she taught physical education for two years in Anaheim, California, before spending three years as a high school teacher in San Diego, California, before moving to Greeley.
As a tennis coach at UNC, Fri earned the 1981 and 1992 Wilson Division II Women's Coach of the Year Award, the 1992 Sportswoman of Colorado Coach of the Year Award, the 1999 Colorado Tennis Association Bud Robineau Award for outstanding contributions to Colorado Tennis, the 2000 David Freed Award in the inter-mountain area for individual lifetime service to the tennis community and the Tennis Association of Greeley's Rosemary Fri Award for commitment to excellence in Greeley tennis.
Her tennis team won 10 consecutive North Central Conference Championships. She coached two national singles champions, three national doubles champions and 15 All-Americans. She surpassed the 700 coaching victory career milestone in 2001.
There is a celebration of her life before the Bears volleyball match against Florida Saturday, Aug. 31.
UNC Weekly Press Conference - Lyndsey Oates (Jan. 6)
Tuesday, January 06
Brynn Reines Post Game Press Conference vs Montana State
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Lyndsey Oates Post Game Press Conference vs Montana State
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Gabi Placide Post Game Press Conference vs Montana
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