Houston Cougars Finish as One of College Football's Most Improved Teams
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It's no secret that the Houston Cougars saw some significant improvement in year two of the Willie Fritz era. Not only did the veteran head coach have the Cougars competing for a spot in the Big 12 championship game, he also guided the program into becoming one of the most improved teams in the country.
Houston's 2024 season left much to be desired. The Cougars finished the season with a 4-8 record and lost their last three games by double-digit margins. The program missed out on a bowl-game appearance for the second year in a row.
After beating the Baylor Bears in their own stadium on Saturday, Houston reached nine wins during the season and have been regarded as one of the most improved football programs in only a year. In fact, the Cougars' season closely resembles the No. 16 Virginia Cavaliers, who will be playing for the ACC conference championship this coming weekend.
How the Cougars Engineered their Year-Two Breakout
Even at his past coaching jobs, Fritz was known for finding success if given enough time. While some programs took a little longer to rebuild, namely Tulane, the head coach of the Cougars normally improved greatly after his first season on the job.
Only a year after their four-win season, Houston now looks like a Big 12 contender under Coach Fritz. With offensive coordinator Slade Nagle and defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong in only their first year, it also seems as though the coaching staff could be building something special.
It wasn't just the coaching staff that allowed the Cougars to reach the nine-win mark. Fritz's ability to recruit in the transfer portal also played a huge role in Houston's speedy turn-around.
Offensively, the Cougars added transfers like Conner Weigman, Amare Thomas, Dean Connors, Tanner Koziol, and a variety of offensive line pieces. On the defensive side of things, Fritz focused on Houston's linebackers and secondary by adding guys like Slone Fotu, Will James, Jordan Allen, and Marc Stampley II. The Cougars also added to the defensive line depth with transfers Eddie Walls III and Khalil Laufau.
By getting offensive weapons that could perform consistently, Slade Nagle's offense was ranked No. 66 in the country by the end of the year. Only a year ago, Houston's offense was ranked No. 133 in the country out of 136 FBS programs. During the preseason, Fritz and his staff likely reasoned that they could see considerable improvement if they could just get their offense to perform at an average level.
Ending with a 9-3 record is no small feat, especially in a conference that seems to always have a high level of parity. Of what Fritz has built in only two years is any indication of what's in store for the future, the Cougars may have found their guy for years to come.
The Cavaliers Had a Similar Turn-Around
The No. 16 Virginia Cavaliers were the only other program in the country to record five more wins than the previous season. In 2024, head coach Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers also missed out on a bowl game with a season record of 5-7.
Only a year later, Virginia recently sealed a spot in the ACC championship game with their most recent win over Virginia Tech. Elliott and his coaching staff took the same approach as the Cougars by adding standout offensive weapons like Chandler Morris and J'Mari Taylor, who combined for over 4,050 yards from scrimmage.
While the Cougars aren't battling for a conference title next weekend, the quick turn-arounds from both schools show just how volatile the college football landscape can be. If the Cougars are going to remain a contender in the Big 12, having Willie Fritz's steady hand on the wheel will likely be vital to the program's success.
