Houston Cougars' HC Willie Fritz Named to Prestigious Award Watch List
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The Houston Cougars get set to face another challenge this weekend as they return home to TDECU Stadium to take on a very underrated Arizona Wildcats squad. The Coogs come off their most convincing victory of the season after making simple work of the Oklahoma State Cowboys 39-17 on the road in Stillwater.
A victory against the visiting Wildcats would make the Cougars bowl eligible for the first time since 2022, when the Cougars beat the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns 23-16 in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. A sixth victory on the season would also be the first time Houston has been bowl-eligible under its head coach, Willie Fritz.
Houston's impressive start to the 2025 season has not gone unnoticed, as on Wednesday, Fritz was named to the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Watch List. The Cougars' head man was a part of a list with 27 other head coaches, some of whom are at the biggest programs in the country. Fritz is named alongside Alabama's Kalen DeBoer and Ohio State's Ryan Day, among others.
Leader of men 🗣️
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) October 15, 2025
Coach Fritz is on the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Watch List. pic.twitter.com/A4sU11NZ1e
Houston's 2025 Season So Far
As already noted, the Cougars' 5-1 start has been surprising, probably not by Fritz, his staff, and his players but certainly by the rest of the Big 12. The Coogs began the season unbeaten for the first four games of the season, the first time Houston has started 4-0 since 2016. That year, the Cougars went 9-3 during the regular season, ultimately losing in their bowl game.
During that unbeaten four-game stretch, the Cougars outscored their opponents 125 to 53, defeating Stephen F. Austin, Rice, Colorado, and Oregon State during that four-game winning streak. The Coogs would not face defeat until they matched up with arguably the best team in the Big 12, falling to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
However, Houston was able to rebound in a big way, blowing out Oklahoma State on the road, and will look to continue their momentum, taking on the Wildcats on Saturday. For the back half of their schedule, the Coogs will have five conference games remaining, facing Arizona State, Western Virginia, UCF, TCU, and Baylor.
Fritz Turning Around the Coogs
Fritz arrived in Houston after a difficult first season in the Big 12 and final year under former head coach Dana Holgorsen. In their inaugural season in their new conference, the Coogs would finish the year 4-8 and lose their final three games of the season.
Fritz's first year with the reins of the Cougars program was not smooth sailing, as Houston finished with the same 4-8 record from the year before and once again lost the final three games of the season.
However, after an offseason of adding talented players from the transfer portal and his first full recruiting class with the Coogs, Fritz has completely turned around the Cougars and has them on the brink of bowl eligibility and potentially becoming a true contender in the Big 12.
