Source: Houston finalizing deal with West Virginia's Dana Holgorsen The Houston Cougars are finalizing a deal to make Dana Holgorsen their next head coach and are expected to announce his hire as early as Tuesday, a source with knowledge of the search told ESPN. The West Virginia coach, who is 61-41 with the Mountaineers, will receive a five-year contract worth $20 million, the source said. It would make him the highest-paid coach of a Group of 5 program. Houston fires Applewhite after two seasons Houston fired coach Major Applewhite on Sunday after two seasons with the program, the school announced. SBNation.com first reported the news of Holgorsen's imminent hiring and contract figure. Holgorsen will return to familiar stomping grounds, where he spent two seasons as the Cougars' offensive coordinator in 2008-09 under then-head coach Kevin Sumlin. Holgorsen will succeed Major Applewhite, whom the Cougars fired Sunday after two-plus seasons with the program. Houston made Holgorsen its top target in its search but timing dictated it wait until the new year, as his buyout to get out of his contract at West Virginia dropped from $2.5 million to $1 million on Tuesday. Houston also spoke with USC offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, a former Houston assistant, and Cal defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter about its vacancy, according to a source. Since the end of the season, West Virginia and Holgorsen had been negotiating an extension, pay raise and larger buyout on his contract, according to a source. But Holgorsen asked for more than West Virginia was willing to offer, leading to a stalemate. Another source told ESPN that Holgorsen has not been in touch with his coaching staff since the 34-18 loss to Syracuse in the Camping World Bowl. Holgorsen stayed in Orlando after the game instead of returning to the team
I'm trying not to get too carried away here, but on the face of it, I'm thrilled. I've wanted Holgerson here pretty much since Sumlin left. What he did here in 08-09 was pure wizardry and IMO really built the offense that Case Keenum would drive to historic heights over the next few years. I was super bummed when WVU snagged him right before we had a vacancy. I think it's a great fit. Dana always seems to find really talented, under-recruited players, especially on offense, and design schemes that really maximize their talent. That is UH's bread and butter. He is intimately familiar with the Texas football landscape and personally connected to Houston in several ways. Like Tom Herman said when he signed with UH, Houston is a very advantageous spot to be in. You can recruit some of the best players in the country and go home to have dinner with your family the same day. Brand new facilities. If you win your conference, you are going to an NY6 bowl game. Pretty much the only disadvantage is playoff access. But hey, if you're getting paid, recruiting some of the best players in the country, and putting great big trophies on the wall, who gives a ****? Praise to Daddy Tillman. BRB goin' to Saltgrass. Edit: OMG Gibbs is coming home too. Be still my heart.
You should be. Holgorsen and Gibbs can wreck shop at UH. They don't need 5* recruits (but they're nice to get), they just need the local guys who fit their system. OU and Wash St next year? That is strong, thank Herman? for that and keep it up.
I believe Yurachek put those series together. It's rare we can get a P5 program to agree to a 1:1, especially a local program like OU or TTU, so give them all the credit in the world for actually having the guts to play us.
I said I'd be shocked if Holgorson left West Virginia, so I guess I'm pretty shocked. I have to feel that Holgorson felt he was on somewhat shaky ground at West Virginia. Best to get out now. He did an OK Job at West Virginia, but the three coaches that preceded him at West Virginia had a better overall record. When was the last time that a head coach voluntarily left a power five conference team for a group of five conference team?
Morgantown hated Holgerson too, it seems. That first year really bought him a lot of good will, but when he was hired it was a total sh*tshow (remember the Oliver Luck "coach in waiting" fiasco?) and very few people were happy. Towns like Lubbock and Morgantown can probably grate on people who don't like drama, infighting, or an intense spotlight. They also don't tend to play well with guys who aren't "good ol boys" and don't want to schmooze/kiss the asses of the dumb boosters and other mafiaso nimwits who surround college athletics programs.
He's had personal issues going back to his time in Stillwater. Never heard (or cared to hear) about things during his first run at UH. I'm rooting for yall, WV and TCU are my 2 other favorite conference teams. Give him an athletic QB and he can make some fun football. UH to the BigXII along with who? Cincy? This is all twiddling dick until major realignment inevitably happens.
Know what I am most interested in seeing? How this relationship ends if Dana stomps monkey butthole like I think he will. He's on a 5 year, 4M per year deal. That's literally top 25 money. Where will he go next if succeeds? Does he care? Dude is only (shockingly) 47 years old. He has a lot of football left in him if he wants. Part of me wants to believe this is that "final" hire we've been looking for. Big 12 can pound sand. I don't really care anymore. I'm plenty happy with the AAC honestly. Until Tilman decides to stop writing checks, then Big 12 pls I luv u.
I just like the idea of UH playing the schools I grew up watching them play, UH v Memphis football just doesn't do anything for me. Somewhere on this bbs a couple of years ago I had the whole massive realignment figured out. Nobody listens to me anyway, so....
I guess after 20 years of playing Memphis you kinda actually start to like it. Memphis, Navy, UCF, Cinci, Temple, USF... All of these schools have made significant investment in their programs and it shows. Granted nobody is going to put butts in seats like local FBS teams. There's just a multiplicative effect there that cannot be replicated even with high profile teams from elsewhere. The main issue (other than the fact the Big 12 seems to think it doesn't have a Houston problem) will be that no matter who joins UH in the B12, there will be a question of divisions and there really is no easy answer there. UT, OU, and OSU all want to play each other every single year, and that can't happen if divisions are added with UH. Unless you're planning on putting UH into some "North" or "East" division which would likely really piss off the also-rans in the Midwest and Greatplains. Just a mess that I'd rather avoid until the great conference apocalypse when TV networks go byebye.
Applewhite had to go after Ed Oliver smacked him down on a nationally televised stage. Holgo has the worst bald mullet / visor combo in football history. Not sure I like the dirty Tilman mafia money spilling into UH now, but eh who cares. WINNING WHEEEEEEEEEEE
I was happy to see Army win like they did for 2 reasons 1. I was Army and they were bad for SOOO long 2. It ensured Applewhite would be fired.
