CANNONSBURG — Hired this past February, Boyd County’s new head football coach faced immense pressure from the get-go.

No, not to win games. But to win over a coach.

“As the hiring process went on, other assistant coaches told me, ‘You have to get coach Frasure on board. We have to have him,’” recalled first-year Lions coach Ray Brooks.

Seven months later, Jeff Frasure is not only still on board, he’s one of the main men behind the Boyd County steering wheel. In fact, he’s now in the highest position he’s held since joining the school’s football coaching staff in 2004.

Brooks, a defensive coordinator for four seasons at Huntington High, wanted Frasure to have that same position with the Lions.

Frasure remembered his thought process before his first encounter with Brooks.

“It was the perfect time to take a year or two break,” he said.

A logical decision, considering the following: Frasure has a wife (Amy) and two young children — he coaches his 5-year-old’s Upwards football team; he teaches P.E. and college credit health courses at Boyd County High School; and the 35-year-old is also taking college classes toward a degree in administration.

And then, during that conversation ...

“He said everything right,” Frasure said. “Everything I wanted to hear, he said it. Coach Brooks has that ‘it’ factor.”

After the initial exchange ...

“It’s been great, almost like a perfect marriage,” Frasure said. “He’s basically left me alone to do what I want to do defensively.”

Jeff Frasure is far from an unknown name in the area.

In the early-1990s, he was a standout running back and outside linebacker at Russell — he also punted and kicked.

A four-year college career ensued at Morehead State University, where Frasure was named the team’s Special Teams Player of the Year as a freshman before going on to start his final three years at outside linebacker. He was named an Honorable Mention on Don Hansen’s I-AA All-America Team.

A self-professed “numbers guy,” Frasure nearly decided on a career in accounting while in college.

“When you’re a numbers guy, you’re also meticulous. You pay attention to the smallest of details,” Brooks said. “Whether it’s practice or during a game or watching film, you see that with (Frasure). He’s organized.”

Brooks also noted a high level of mutual respect between the players and Frasure as a positive quality.

“Right from the start, I could tell not only did he have a good understanding of football, but he had a good understanding of the Boyd County kids.”

Kids of whom Frasure can’t speak highly enough.

“The kids out here are great, fantastic,” he said. “Like I told coach Brooks, they will work. You can’t push these kids hard enough.”

Frasure has pictures of himself as a 3-year-old in full pads when his father, Malcolm, was an assistant coach for the Russell JFL Broncos. Jeff’s older brother was on the team.

“My dad was always big-time involved in athletics, always coaching something,” Frasure said.

Between his father and great coaches such as 37th-year Russell coach Ivan McGlone, Frasure has never lost one ounce of interest in the game.

“Some coaches tend to burn you out on things, but the good ones leave you wanting more,” Frasure said. “That’s what I try to instill in the kids.”

Frasure’s coaching journey to Boyd County began as unpaid assistant at his high school alma mater.

After one season, he moved on to Harrison County under state-renowned coach Ray Graham.

As the co-defensive coordinator, Frasure called all the defensive plays for the 2000 Harrison County group that went 12-1.

Frasure then spent three seasons at Lawrence County under Garry McPeek before following McPeek to Boyd County in 2004.

As a Lions assistant, Frasure has worked alongside head coaches Dane Damron, Lee Evans and now Brooks.

Becoming a head coach someday isn’t out of the question, Frasure said, but family will certainly play a major part.

For now, he’s happy he stayed on the sidelines in 2012.

Brooks is too.

“I’d be lost without him at times,” Brooks said.

AARON SNYDER can be reached at asnyder@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2664. Look here every Tuesday for another installment of “Sidekicks” throughout the high school football season.