HOUSTON (AP) — Willie Fritz was hired as Houston’s coach on Sunday, replacing Dana Holgorsen, who was fired a week ago after five seasons with the Cougars.
Fritz spent the last eight seasons at Tulane, where he was named American Athletic Conference coach of the year in the last two seasons.
Fritz has led Tulane to consecutive AAC championship games. The Green Wave lost to SMU 26-14 in the AAC title game Saturday to end the regular season 11-2.
“No one in the country has been better at leading and developing student-athletes than Willie Fritz,” Houston Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman said in a statement. “Over his more than three-decades of head coaching experience, he has guided several football programs to historic success.”
Fritz ranks fifth in the nation among active FBS coaches with 208 career victories. Tulane’s 23 wins since the start of the 2022 season are fourth-most in the country and the team’s 15 conference wins are fifth in the nation during that span.
He went 54-47 in his tenure at Tulane, highlighted by last season’s 12-2 record.
“I am truly humbled and honored to join the University of Houston family and to be a part of the strong athletics tradition at UH,” Fritz said in a statement. “There is no ceiling for success, with the incredible fan support, excellent facilities, talented young men and a collective desire to compete for championships. We will build a program that all Coogs can be proud of, and I cannot wait to see the results.”
Holgorsen was fired after Houston went 4-8 and 2-7 in the first season in Big 12 Conference play after leaving the AAC.
The 63-year-old Fritz has spent the last 31 seasons as a head coach, starting at Blinn College (1993-96) and then coaching at Central Missouri (2007-09), Sam Houston (2010-13) and Georgia Southern (2014-15) before he was hired at Tulane.
“From the outset of our search, coach Willie Fritz stood out for his track record of championship-level success across all levels of collegiate football,” UH System Board of Regents Chairman Tilman Fertitta said. “His achievements and reputation stand toe-to-toe with the best and brightest in the game. Our mission is to be a leader in the Big 12 Conference and provide our fans and donors a product they can be proud of. We’re excited to welcome Coach Fritz and his family to Houston and look forward to bright days together for Houston football.”
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