Who’s next at UH?
School expects deep pool of coaching candidates, including some from Power 5
Less than two years after going through the process, the University of Houston is again looking for a football coach.
As UH officials begin the search to replace Tom Herman, who stepped down Saturday to take the job at the University of Texas, they can offer a sales pitch of being arguably the most attractive Group of Five destination, with new facilities either in place or on the way.
And if Herman was any indication, UH is willing to open the checkbook for the right coach.
The vacant UH job is “a hot ticket,” said billionaire board of regents chairman Tilman Fertitta, that is expected to attract several intriguing names.
“What’s next for the University of Houston? We’ve got a great list of candidates that want to come to this school,” Fertitta said. “People from all over the country are contacting us. You would be shocked at the people that want to be the next head football coach at the University of Houston. When you look at the list, you know you’ve arrived as a football powerhouse.”
Hunter Yurachek, UH’s vice president for intercollegiate athletics, said the school will use Collegiate Sports Associates to aid in the search, which begins immediately. The pool of candidates, according to sources, is expected to include established coaches — some from Power Five schools — as well as some of the nation’s top assistants. Orlando, Applewhite interested
Two current UH staffers, defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and offensive coordinator Major Applewhite, expressed interest in the job Saturday, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Orlando will serve as interim coach for the Cougars’ bowl.
While no official list has been compiled, potential candidates could include West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, former Baylor and UH coach Art Briles, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, Tulsa coach Phillip Montgomery, Washington State coach Mike Leach, California coach Sonny Dykes, SMU coach Chad Morris, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, and Colorado defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt.
“This is a hot coaching job right now,” Fertitta said. “We will make a good hire. It’s going to be a tough decision because so many people want this job.”
In the span of two years, UH has gone from paying former coach Tony Levine a $1 million annual salary to tripling that with Herman’s last deal at $3 million, which ranked 35th among Football Bowl Subdivision jobs.
It’s unclear what kind of salary UH will be willing to offer Herman’s successor. In the past week, Yurachek presented Herman with a contract extension that included a seven-figure increase in total compensation in an attempt to keep him.
“We will immediately turn our focus to identifying the next leader of our program,” Yurachek said. “We are confident we will find the right individual who will support the young men who are and have committed to this program.”
One name that could prominently emerge in the search is Holgorsen, who was offensive coordinator at UH under Kevin Sumlin. While a move from a Power Five school to the Group of Five is uncommon, Holgorsen earlier this year turned down a contract extension at West Virginia and would entertain a change of address, two sources said Saturday. The No. 18 Mountaineers are currently 9-2 and heading to a fifth consecutive bowl appearance under Holgorsen. Some in Briles’ corner
Another source said there are boosters ready to throw support behind Briles, who resurrected the UH program with four bowl appearances and a Conference USA title in five seasons from 2003-07. But Briles was fired at Baylor earlier this year as a result of a sexual-assault scandal that cost the school president and athletic director their jobs.
UH president Renu Khator said UH has “experienced a reawakening” in the past few years.
“Houston football is committed longterm to competing for championships against top-tier programs on the national stage, and we continue to demonstrate this through our unprecedented investments in talent and new facilities,” Khator said. “I am confident we will find the right individual to lead our athletes, leverage the richest recruiting grounds in the country, and continue this upward trajectory.”