Houston Set to Hire Bennie Wylie as Strength and Conditioning Coach

The Cougars are set to add a veteran strength and conditioning coach that has experience across the Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC.

Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Houston Cougars have officially found their next strength and conditioning coach with the hiring of Bennie Wylie. The Texas native joins the Cougars after spending a year at Huntsville High School.

Before his time in Huntsville, Wylie spent time at the collegiate level with schools such as USC, Texas, and Oklahoma. He also spent time at the professional level with the Dallas Cowboys. In late April, the strength and conditioning coach was suddenly let go by USC head coach Lincoln Riley.

Wylie joins the program as a replacement for Kurt Hester. Hester was a highly respected strength and conditioning coach within the Houston football program but passed away during the middle of the season. He was instrumental in the improvement of the Cougars over the last two years.

Experience Across All Levels of Football

Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a Houston Cougars helmet at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

If there's one thing that Wylie brings to the city of Houston, it's experience. The strength and conditioning coach has coaching experience in the SEC, Big 12, and Pac-12. He's spent the most time working within programs tied to the Big 12, including six years with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, four years with the Oklahoma Sooners, and three years with the Texas Longhorns.

Wylie also spent three years with the USC Trojans and one year with the Tennessee Volunteers. Outside of his coaching experience at the collegiate level, Wylie served as the director of performance at The Performance Lab in Fort Worth, TX, and also as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Dallas Cowboys from 1999 to 2002.

Experience at all levels of football makes Wylie a strong fit for the Cougars as they look to maintain and even improve on their recent success. His background across multiple Power-Four conferences, combined with time in the NFL, gives him a well-rounded understanding of what the Houston football program needs.

Building on Houston's Recent Recruiting Success

Oct 4, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz coaches against the Texas Tech Raiders in the first half at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The addition of Wylie to the Houston Cougars' coaching staff likely does more than just give the program strength and conditioning coach. The hire could also help the program keep momentum in recruiting. While going to a championship contender is nice, getting developed by a coach with experience at the professional level is a massive selling point.

There's also something to be said about Wylie's coaching experience in and around the state of Texas. As previously mentioned in past months, one of Willie Fritz's biggest goals at Houston was to dominate in-state recruiting. So far, the head coach has done exactly that. Wylie's experience at Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech will likely only help Fritz's efforts in recruiting elite talent to Houston.