UH Cougars welcome Willie Fritz as new head football coach

HOUSTON – Willie Fritz has been selected to be the new head football coach at the University of Houston, UH announced on Sunday.

Fritz was the coach at Tulane University.

Related: UH fires Head Coach Dana Holgorsen after 5 years

He has been the back-to-back American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and has 31 years of collegiate head coaching experience.

UH is having a press conference and welcome party on Monday at noon to introduce Fritz to the community inside the TDECU Stadium Cougar Club.

“No one in the country has been better at leading and developing student-athletes than Willie Fritz,” UH Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman said. “Over his more than three decades of head coaching experience, he has guided several football programs to historic success. We’re excited to welcome Willie, his wife, Susan, and their entire family, to Cougar Nation and look forward to putting our full support behind Coach Fritz as we look to take the next steps in the Big 12 Conference.”

On Sunday around 9 p.m., Fritz arrived in Houston with a warm welcome from the university’s band and cheer team. He was also pictured meeting with the football team for the first time.

Fritz would be the 16th coach at UH. He is in fifth place in the country compared to other head coaches for his performance. He has 208 victories under his belt, and he pushed Tulane to consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship games.

Tulane has won 23 games since the 2022 season began.

“I am truly humbled and honored to join the University of Houston family and to be a part of the strong athletics tradition at UH,” Fritz said. “There is no ceiling for success, with the incredible fan support, excellent facilities, talented young men and a collective desire to compete for championships. We will build a program that all Coogs can be proud of, and I cannot wait to see the results.”

Fritz has had eight 10-plus-win seasons and owns seven conference championships, including the 2022 American Athletic Conference title. He was chosen for the 2023 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award Watch List and is 247-121-1 all-time as a head coach.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Fritz to the University of Houston, and we look forward to him elevating our football program to new heights in the Big 12 Conference,” UH President Renu Khator said. “Coach Fritz has an impressive track record both on and off the field of maximizing the potential of student-athletes, which is a testament to his leadership. We’re excited to have him as part of our Cougar Family and look forward to more exciting moments next fall at TDECU Stadium.”

Fun fact: Fritz is the father to former KPRC 2 sports reporter/anchor Lainie Fritz. Lainie left KPRC 2 in Aug. 2019.