Recently we have taken a look at the BYU Cougars and the Cincinnati Bearcats’ biggest challenges and expectations as they enter the Big 12.
Next, we move on to the Houston Cougars.
The Cougars enter the Big 12 after a 10-year stint in the American Athletic Conference, where they posted seven seasons of eight or more wins. That success came despite the program seeing five different head coaches during its AAC tenure, that number includes interim head coaches.
However, the program has found a stable head coaching option in Dana Holgorson, who is set to enter his fifth season as the head coach of the program. His fifth season will make him the second longest-tenured head coach in program history since 1990, only behind Kim Helton, who led the program from 1993 through 1999.
For a program that has long searched for coaching stability, going through seven full-time head coaches since 2000, Holgorson has met those needs. He also appears to be staying with the program for the foreseeable future after signing a six-year contract extension in March 2022 that will keep him with the program through 2027.
Despite the consistent coaching turnover, the program over the last 20 years has transformed from a bottom-of-the-barrel program to a marquee program within the Group of Five. Now, the program looks to take an even more significant step into Power Five football.
Can Houston continue its’ ascent in college football, or will the Cougars struggle in their attempt to take the program to the next level? We look at the program’s biggest challenge going forward and what realistic expectations should be for the program in 2023 and beyond.
First, we dive into the biggest challenge