Just In: Highly Conflicting As Houston To Fire Head Coach After Severe Seasons
The University of Houston has decided to part ways with football coach Dana Holgorsen, as confirmed by Yahoo Sports.
Holgorsen was a significant hire for the Cougars in 2019 after an eight-year tenure at West Virginia. His initial years at Houston were challenging, but the team managed to win 20 games combined in 2021 and 2022, their last two seasons in the American Athletic Conference.
However, that success did not translate when Houston moved up to the Big 12. Like other newcomers to the conference, the Cougars struggled against stronger opponents, finishing the season with a 4-8 record (2-7 in the Big 12) and failing to qualify for a bowl game.
Houston plans to fire coach Dana Holgorsen, sources confirm to @YahooSports, as @Joseph_Duarte reported earlier.
Holgorsen’s buyout believed to be about $15 million.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 26, 2023
Houston achieved conference victories against West Virginia and Baylor but also suffered a disappointing non-conference loss to Rice and faced heavy defeats against TCU, Texas Tech, and Kansas State. Additionally, they experienced a humiliating home loss to a Cincinnati team that had been winless in conference play.
The loss to Cincinnati brought Houston to 4-6, leaving a slim chance for bowl eligibility. However, Holgorsen’s squad then lost 43-30 at home to Oklahoma State and fell 27-13 to UCF in their final game.
Following the UCF defeat, the university decided to part ways with Holgorsen after five seasons, during which he posted a 31-28 overall record. The Houston Chronicle was the first to report Holgorsen’s dismissal.
When he was hired from West Virginia, Holgorsen was seen as an ideal fit for Houston, receiving one of the largest coaching contracts outside the power conferences.
Houston had long pursued Holgorsen, who had previously served as UH’s offensive coordinator for two seasons under Kevin Sumlin after eight years at Texas Tech. He spent a year as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State before taking the helm at West Virginia, where he led the Mountaineers to just one losing season and ended with a 61-41 record.
When it seemed that Holgorsen’s relationship with West Virginia was faltering, Houston, known for its impatience with coaching results, seized the opportunity.
Initially, expectations were high, but the Cougars struggled, going 7-13 (5-9 AAC) in his first two seasons. They bounced back in 2021 with a 12-2 record, losing to Cincinnati in the AAC title game, but then finished 8-5 in 2022.
While some growing pains were anticipated with the Big 12 transition, a 2-7 conference record proved too much for the university leadership to overlook.
Looking ahead, potential candidates for the UH position include Tulane’s Willie Fritz, UTSA’s Jeff Traylor, UNLV’s Barry Odom, and former TCU coach Gary Patterson, according to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.