Houston Shifts Jersey Theme to Pay Tribute to Late Staff Member
In this story:
On Saturday morning, the news broke that strength and conditioning coach Kurt Hester had passed away after battling stage IV Melanoma for nearly nine months. To honor his absence, the Houston Cougars will be changing the theme for this week's game against West Virginia to a blackout. The color black was Hester's favorite color.
It's evident how Hester impacted the Houston football program. Based on numerous quotes from people within the program, the strength and conditioning coach had a positive influence on everyone around him. Head coach Willie Fritz talked about Hester's influence after the Cougars' win over Arizona State.
"It's a bittersweet win, without question," Fritz said. "Kurt Hester was an unbelievably important person in our football program. I've been with him for a while. He's the best strength and conditioning coach I've ever been around, but more importantly, just a fantastic role model for our student-athletes."
A Different Look for the Cougars This Weekend
Houston's blackout game for the 2025 season was originally scheduled for their final home game against the TCU Horned Frogs on Nov. 22. The Cougars will now be in black this weekend against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Along with the uniform change, Houston's players will also have "#Unbreakable" brandished on their helmet bumpers. The word symbolizes Coach Hester's slogan for the last eight months of his life. The Spirit of Houston will also spell out "unbreakable" on the field during a halftime tribute to the strength and conditioning coach.
In addition to the blackout theme, Houston will also be honoring the 2015 Houston football team for their accomplishments as both American Athletic Conference champions and 2015 Peach Bowl champions. This season marks the 10-year anniversary of the 2015 squad, which included names like quarterback Greg Ward Jr., wide receiver Demarcus Ayers, and cornerback William Jackson III.
Coach Hester's Influence on Houston Football
Coach Hester's slogan doesn't just relate to his battle for stage IV melanoma. The term "unbreakable" appears to have become an inspirational theme for the entire football program. Even when the Cougars haven't played their best this season, Coach Fritz and Co. have been able to persevere and find a win. That resilience and an "unbreakable" mentality have resulted in the Cougars being ranked with a 7-1 record.
Cougars tight end Tanner Koziol mentioned how Coach Hester embodied his famous slogan even through the roughest period of his life.
“He’s been such a light in such a dark time in his life,” Koziol said. “It just goes to show the impact that somebody can have on hundreds of people, thousands of people, and people all over social media have been seeing it. He stared death in the face, and he didn’t blink. He was truly unbreakable, and he defined that word by living it."
The Cougars' resilience appeared in their win over Arizona State this past weekend. While Houston held a comfortable lead through the third quarter, the Sun Devils stormed back to make it an 8-point game late in the game. With a clutch defensive stop by the Houston defense, the Cougars were able to hold on for their first road win against a ranked opponent since 2017.
