University of Houston Athletics
Former Cougar Fricke Passes Away
2/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 23, 2011
Former University of Houston All-American center Ben Fricke of Frisco, Texas, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 35 after a seven-week battle with colon cancer. Fricke was a four-year letterwinner for the Cougars from 1994-97.
Fricke was diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer in January. He is survived by his wife, Amy Diamond Fricke, and their son Luke and daughter Synneva.
Fricke was the Cougars' center from 1994-97 and earned first-team All-Conference USA honors in 1996 and 1997. As a senior, he was named first-team All-America by the Associated Press and Football Writers.
After UH, Fricke was drafted in the seventh round by the New York Giants and played for three seasons (1999-2001) with the Dallas Cowboys. He received a B.S. from the University of Houston in 2002 and a M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University in 2005. For the past three years, Fricke has been coaching at Centennial High School in Frisco where he was the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. He also taught business education.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, February 25, 2011 at First Baptist Church, 7901 W. Main St. in Frisco. A reception will follow.
