A coach's son, Friedgen has long been regarded as one of the sharpest offensive-minded coaches at any level of the game. "The Fridge", as he's affectionately known around College Park, matriculated at the University of Maryland in the mid-1960s, where he played the position of offensive guard. After completion of his Bachelor's in Physical education in 1970, Friedgen served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, before later accepting positions on the staffs of The Citadel, William and Mary, and Murray State. Joining him on many of these coaching stops was Frank Beamer, who would later become a compatriot for life as well as a highly successful coach at Virginia Tech.

He returned to the University of Maryland in 1982 to serve as offensive coordinator under Bobby Ross, who was his mentor during his stop at The Citadel. During this time period, he had a hand in the development of quarterbacks Stan Gelbaugh and Frank Reich, and most notably Boomer Esiason. It was also during this time that the University of Maryland football program was a perennial top-20 team, winning consecutive ACC titles from 1983 to 1985 and appearing in prominent bowl games. Following a sub-par 1986 season, and admist an athletic department quagmire due in large part to the Len Bias incident, Friedgen followed Ross to Georgia Tech, a stint lasting four years. In 1990, Tech went from being unranked in the preseason to achieving an 11-0-1 record and a share of the national championship with Colorado. In 1992, Friedgen followed Ross once again, this time to the NFL's San Diego Chargers, where he orchestrated an offense that led the franchise to their only Super Bowl appearance thus far. In 1997, Friedgen returned to Georgia Tech, where, as offensive coordinator, he developed the balanced offensive attack (200 yards on the ground, 200 yards through the air) that would become his trademark. During his second year, the Yellow Jackets were co-champions of the ACC, notched a win over Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl, and ended the season ranked among the nation's top 10 teams. In 1999, he was awarded the Frank Broyles Award, given to the nation's best assistant coach.

In November 2000, he was named the head coach of his alma mater. He was charged with rebuilding a program that hadn't been to a bowl in a decade. In his first season, he surprisingly led the Terps to a 10-2 record, a top 10 national ranking, the first outright ACC title since Florida State entered the league, and an appearance in the BCS Orange Bowl. He went on to receive numerous "Coach of the Year" plaudits from various organizations. The proceeding two seasons would provide more of the same, culminating with dominating wins in both the 2002 Peach Bowl against Tennessee and the 2004 Gator Bowl against geographic rival West Virginia. The University of Maryland football team became one of five programs nationally to reach the 10-win plateau from 2001 to 2003.

The 2004 season would be the first disappointment of Friedgen's tenure. While the team did fail to qualify for a bowl game, there were some highlights. On October 30, his relatively young team upset fifth-ranked Florida State to earn the first Maryland win in that series, as well as the first win over a top-5 team since 1982. On November 27, a 13-7 win over Wake Forest gave Friedgen his 36th win as head coach, making him the winningest fourth-year coach in conference history.

The 2005 season again saw the Terps fail to qualify for a bowl game. Friedgen's team started out well, but went just 1-4 in its last five games to finish at 5 wins, 6 losses.

Friedgen's efforts in rebuilding the University of Maryland program are far from over. His success has seen a substantial increase in ticket sales (Terrapin Ticket Sales), which has initiated discussions into the renovation of Byrd Stadium. His recruiting efforts have also seen the University of Maryland team compete head-to-head with many of the elite programs for blue-chip recruits. In a very innovative move, Friedgen and former Maryland placekicker Jess Atkinson launched FridgeTV in 2003, an interactive experience that provides the viewer with an "inside the locker room" look at the personalities behind the program. In 2004, he appeared prominently in tv commercials promoting former Terp football player Kevin Plank's Under Armour brand of athletic wear Under Armour promotion.

Friedgen has been married to the former Gloria Spina since 1973. They have three daughters.