An optical connector for reducing attenuation in a cable assembly. A support within the connector precludes bending of exposed fiber within the connector that might otherwise occur when the cable assembly is exposed to environmental conditions involving cyclic temperatures. In some embodiments, optical connector assemblies include an optical fiber jacket surrounding a plurality of optical fibers and a support member adjacent to the jacket. The support member includes channels for receiving regions of the optical fibers that are exposed exterior to the optical fiber jacket. The channels of the support member serve to prevent severe bending of the optical fibers which otherwise would give rise to significant signal attenuation. For multi-fiber optical connector assemblies described herein, even during harsh environmental conditions, the signal loss in the optical fibers may be less than about 0.5 dB. The support may be formed as an extension of a ferrule holder.