Willie Fritz keeps adding to the résumé at Houston, and now the Cougars’ head coach is on another major national watchlist.
Fritz was named to the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Watch List by the American Heart Association, giving him another nod as Houston keeps climbing under his direction. The 66-year-old has already built a track record for turning programs fast, and Houston’s rise over the last two seasons has been the latest example.
The Cougars’ progress has been dramatic. Fritz took over on Dec. 3, 2023, and Houston responded with the largest turnaround in the FBS last season, jumping from four wins in 2024 to 10 wins in 2025.
That run ended with a Texas Bowl victory over LSU in Houston’s first bowl appearance since 2022, plus a No. 22 finish in the final AP Poll. It was the Cougars’ first spot in the final season poll since 2021, and their first 10-win season as a Power Conference team since 1990.
There were milestone wins along the way, too. In year two under Fritz, Houston picked up its first ranked road win since 2017 by beating No.
25 Arizona State. The Cougars also won a ranked home matchup for the first time since 2015 when they knocked off No.
18 Oklahoma State.
That kind of surge has Houston sitting at 6-1 and ranked No. 14 just past the midpoint of the season, its highest ranking since 2016. The Cougars are now in the Big 12 race and are also in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot heading into Week 8.
Fritz was a finalist for the Bear Bryant Award at Tulane in 2022, when he also captured the Dodd Trophy and the George Munger College Coach of the Year Award. That Tulane team went 12-2 after Fritz engineered the largest turnaround in FBS history, going from 2-10 to 12-2.
This year’s Bear Bryant watchlist includes Fritz as one of three Big 12 coaches, alongside BYU’s Kalani Sitake and Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire. He’s also one of four Texas school coaches honored, joined by McGuire, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and SMU’s Rhett Lashlee. Fritz was also added to the Dodd Trophy Midseason Watchlist.
Houston’s offense has matched the identity Fritz has built everywhere he’s coached: balanced, efficient and good enough to put the Cougars in the national picture. Fritz has been clear about where he thinks this can go.
"We feel like here at the University of Houston with our facilites, location and the league we play in, we've got an opportunity to win a national championship. That's our overall goal for this football program," Fritz said.
In Other News...
Houston Faces Its Biggest Chance Yet To Prove It Belongs
Rece Davis sees a path for Houston in one of the biggest games of the Big 12 season, and his pick only adds to the buildup around Saturdays trip to Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Cougars head in ranked No. 14, facing No. 10 Utah in a matchup that could say plenty about where Houston fits in the conference hierarchy, especially with the Utes still unbeaten.
A road win here would do more than improve the rsum. It would give Houston a signature moment against a top-10 opponent and a chance to show the rest of the league that this start is for real, with Conner Weigman continuing to give the offense a steady edge. The stakes are obvious, even if the final answer still has to be earned on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Defense Faces Its Toughest Test Yet At Utah
Houstons defense is about to get a crash course in variety when the No. 14 Cougars head to face No. 10 Utah, a matchup that puts Willie Fritzs group against one of the most difficult offenses it will see all season. Utah senior quarterback Devon Dampier has given the Utes a dynamic centerpiece, and Fritz pointed to the challenge of handling an attack that can stress a defense in multiple ways rather than just one.
For Houston, the task goes beyond staying sound in coverage. The Cougars will have to keep Dampier from breaking the game open with his arm or his legs while also being ready for a ground game that can create problems in a hurry. Utahs offense can shift gears quickly, and that versatility is what makes this trip such a stern test for a Houston defense trying to prove it can travel and hold up against a top-10 opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Houston's Run Game Faces Its Biggest Big 12 Test Yet
Houstons ground game has turned into one of the programs biggest calling cards, with an offensive line that has handled its business well enough to keep the Cougars in the thick of the Big 12 race. Makhi Hughes and ReShaun Sanford II have fueled an attack averaging 220.3 rushing yards per game, while Conner Weigman has given the offense enough balance through the air to keep defenses from crowding the box every snap.
Now comes a much stiffer measuring stick in Utah, a defense built on discipline and consistency and one that has already made life difficult for plenty of offenses. The Cougars know this one could swing on the trench battle, because if Houston can keep creating lanes and stay on schedule, it can make the kind of balanced statement that travels well in conference play. [Read more 🡒]