Fairfield University Athletics

Entering his 15th season at the helm, Joe Frager has made the Stags a regular contender in the MAAC, leading to success on and off the court.

In his 14 seasons as the head coach of the Stags, Frager has led the women's basketball program to become a model of consistency, averaging 18 wins per season before the Covid-19 shortened season. In total, Frager has totaled 240 wins with the Stags and a .566 winning percentage, the highest in program history. He has helped lead the Stags to an outstanding 160-96 record in the conference with 13 winning seasons in the MAAC. The Stags have finished in the top three in the MAAC nine times under Frager.
 
Frager helped lead the Stags to five postseason appearances, including hosting the program's first-ever WNIT contest.
 
Frager and the Stags found their success on the court through stifling defense. Fairfield has allowed just 54.7 points per game over Frager's 14 seasons. That defensive energy was highlighted during the 2010-11 season where Fairfield allowed a program low 51.2 points per game, the fourth lowest number in the country.
 
Frager's impact on the Stags goes beyond the wins and losses on the court, as he has helped mentor countless past student-athletes and coaches. Under his tutelage, 32 student-athletes were named to an All-MAAC squad with 11 of those earning First Team All-MAAC honors.
 
Several of those athletes were able to fulfill their dreams due to their collegiate success with 17 different players signing professional contracts during Frager's tenure.
 
Frager also stressed the importance of hard work in the classroom with 68 student-athletes earning All-Academic honors from the MAAC, including a conference-high eight during the 2020-21 season. Most recently, Rachel Hakes graduated from the Dolan School of Business after earning the Bellarmine Medal by holding the highest GPA in the graduating class, with a perfect 4.0 mark.
 
An inductee into both the New England Basketball and Connecticut Women's Basketball Halls of Fame, Frager has earned 429 victories in his collegiate career after 14 seasons with the Stags and nine with Southern Connecticut State University. In his final season with the Owls, Frager earned the Molton/Women's D-II Bulleting National Coach of the Year after leading the squad to the 2007 Divisional II National Championship.