Bob Frala
Year of Induction: 1987 | Categories: Basketball, Coach, Football, Individual, Track
An all-around athlete in high school, one of the inductees into the Salem Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 continued to gain prominence and honors in the sports world on the coaching level. A 1949 SCHS graduate, Bob Frala was a three sports star in his high school years.
In tandem with Jim Bredar, as the “Gold Dust Twins”, Frala started on a road to successful ventures in the sports world in football, basketball and track as a member of Wildcat athletic teams.
After graduation, he attended the University of Illinois, concentrating on the coaching aspects of sports. While at Illinois, Illini Coach Ray Eliot said that “Bob Frala has one of the most comprehensive notebooks on football I have received from all of my classes.”
In high school, Frala was a halfback for the Wildcats, netting 5 yards per carry his senior year on a team that was 5-5 overall and 4-2 in North Egypt Conference play. He also completed 18 of 24 passes for 526 yards. In the final two games that were dramatically won on the margin of Jim Bredar’s placements, 13-12 over Lawrenceville and 14-13 over Mt Vernon, Frala touchdowns were prominent in the victories.
In the Lawrenceville win, he scored the second touchdown that set the stage for the winning extra point, and in the Mt. Vernon victory in the finale, he passed to Corky Winn for 31 yards for the first touchdown, and scored the second from seven yards out. In basketball, on a team that lacked anyone much over six feet tall, Frala was a perfect tandem with Bredar and with Bob Hayden, Derrell Brame and Winn.
He was also a consistent performer in track. In his senior year in the NEC meet, he won the 200-yard low hurdle race in :25.6 despite taking a face-first tumble in his qualifying heat, which he won easily, exemplifying his determination.
After graduation from the University of Illinois, he entered the military service. While stationed at Virginia Beach, he coached base teams in football and basketball; both teams won the National All-Army titles. Fellow SCHS teammate Jim Bredar was a member of the championship basketball team.
Frala got his first high school teaching job in Skokie in 1956. He went to Belleville in 1960 as a teacher and coach and his teams won 83% of their games. In 1964, he was named Illinois Coach of the Year and selected as All-State team coach.
He left Belleville in 1967 to join the coaching staff of Dan Devine at the University of Missouri as freshman coach and assistant quarterback coach. He worked with Devine for five years and for two years with Al Onofrio. While at Missouri, he was one of the head recruiters, and as freshman coach they won 85% of their games.
Frala lives in Moberly, Missouri, with his wife, former Salemite Erma Sechrest. They have three children, all grown, Jim, Kathy and Julie. He is the son of the late James C. and Lola Frala, for whom Salem’s little League park “Frala Park” was named. He has two younger brothers, Jim and Don.
January 28th, 2011 at 11:02 pm
I played for Coach Frala at Belleville and was
sorrowed when he left before my senior year to join the UIniversity of Missouri staff. I think of him periodically and there are lessons that he taught me that I still use in life.
Dave Berry
1/29/2011
September 5th, 2011 at 4:44 am
I played for Coach Frala in 1963-64. We won 20 and lost 1, beating East St. Louis Flyers two years and the last teams to do so. Coach Frala expected the best and was a great leader and coach teaching a lot of values I used later in life. One being,”Quitters never win.”
August 14th, 2012 at 10:00 pm
I played for coach Frala. He coached at Fort Eustis in Virginia, not Virginia Beach. He also had Jim Bredar, Irv Bemoras, Larry Hennesey, and another Big Ten player by the name of Seibert, I think. The only team I remember beatint them was the Andrews Air Force team with Cliff Hagan from Kentucky and Lou Tsouropolis (sp) also from Kentucky. We had 15 NFL players on the football team. I remember Harlan Carl, Fred Bruney, John Michels, Stan Wallace, Dick Gregory. I was a guard and linebacker. Actually, I went in when Michels wanted a break.
January 14th, 2015 at 11:48 am
I played on Coach Frala’s team in his first and second year at BTHS (1959 & 60 ) My Jr. & Senior yrs. He brought to our School a brand new Football program – sorely needed to say the least; a new twist – ( not Chubby Checker’s… tho it was “in” then lol ) “Two Platoon” Football – complete with Offensive & Defencive Manual’s!!! all new “stuff” to us !! He chose me to be the “Floater” on the “D” team – not sure because of my “physical prowess” or because my mind was always “Floating Out there” !!??? (you’ll have to ask the Coach haha ) He was a great Mentor & Coach; his values & teaching’s are still serving me… And served me in my two tours in Viet Nam (’65 &’66 ). Thank You Coach Frala !!!!
January 24th, 2016 at 7:22 pm
My Dad, Babe Rousseau, was fullback on Coach Frala’s first teams. Dad passed away in 2013 but i remember him telling some good stories about the Coach and how he knew the Maroons were headed towards greatness with Coach’s leadership.