APPLEWHITE LANDS HIS FIRST HEAD COACHING JOB
Former Texas QB, assistant replacing Herman with Cougars.
The Major just got HOUSTON — a promotion.
Major Applewhite, who has spent the past two seasons as the University of Houston’s offensive coordinator, was named the 14th head coach at the school Friday morning. He replaces Tom Herman, who took the Texas head coaching job after Charlie Strong was ousted.
Applewhite, 38, was offered the job over a group of finalists that included interim coach/defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin and former LSU coach Les Miles.
Applewhite received a five-year contract comparable to Herman’s first deal of $1.35 million and including incentives that could add to the total.
He will begin the job immediately and serve as head coach in the Las Vegas Bowl against San Diego State next Saturday. Orlando will remain as defensive coordinator for the bowl game, but UH expects him to join Herman at Texas.
“We had our sights set on a focused competitor who has demonstrated success and possesses a deep connection to college and high school football in the great state of Texas,” UH Ath-
letic Director Hunter Yurachek said. “As this process was completed, it was clearly evident the only individual to offer our position to was Major Applewhite and he was indeed the right man to lead our program.”
This will be the first head coaching job for Applewhite, a record-setting quarterback at Texas who has been an offensive coordinator at Rice (2006) and Alabama (2007) and spent seven seasons as an assistant — including four seasons as co-offensive coordinator — at UT under Mack Brown.
Applewhite is a key figure in a sex and race discrimination lawsuit by former UT track coach Bev Kearney against the university. She was forced out in 2013 after the school learned about her romantic relationship with one of her athletes a decade earlier. Applewhite was reprimanded, but not fired, for a relationship with a female student trainer. He was later promoted and given pay raises by UT.
“My family and I are excited and honored to have the opportunity to lead such a tradition-rich program and continue our lives in one of the greatest cities in the nation, a city we love,” Applewhite said. “The student-athletes truly are the backbone of every great program, and as they’ve demonstrated over the past few years, we have an exceptional group of young men in our program, and we’ll continue to add men with great character and a competitive drive in our recruiting. Living in the best state for high school football is a true blessing and advantage for our program, and I cannot be more thankful for the support of our outstanding high school coaches from throughout the state.”
Applewhite sat out one season before joining Herman as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Houston. He has been widely credited with the development of quarterback Greg Ward Jr.
“Major Applewhite is a huge reason we’ve won 22 games in the last two seasons, and I’m excited that he’s our head coach,” UH System Board of Regents Chairman Tilman Fertitta said. “He has demonstrated success on the field and on the sideline throughout his career. He knows we are positioned to compete for championships, and I’m confident we’ll continue our success under his leadership.”
Applewhite can immediately start recruiting ahead of the NCAA dead period that begins Monday.