Houston hires Holgorsen away from West Va.

Houston hired West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen as its coach Wednesday, ending his eight-year run with the Mountaineers.

Holgorsen was 61-41 and 33-30 in the Big 12 as he helped guide West Virginia through the transition from the Big East. Houston competes in the American Athletic Conference, which was formed from the remnants of Big East football after it was torn apart by realignment earlier this decade.

Holgorsen spent two seasons as Houston’s offensive coordinator in 200809, when it was in Conference USA, before serving a season in the same position under Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State in 2010.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dana back to Houston as the next leader of our football program. His offensive acumen with an emphasis on student-athlete development, on and off the field, is a perfect fit for our program, university and city,” athletic director Chris Pezman said.

Houston fired coach Major Applewhite on Sunday after two underwhelming seasons. Applewhite, who took a school-friendly deal in 2016 to replace Tom Herman, went 15-11.

Holgorsen is making a unique move, leaving a Power Five school for one outside the high revenue conferences. No coach has willingly made that move since the College Football Playoff was established in 2014.

But Holgorsen was in a tricky spot at West Virginia. He had probably has most talented team in Morgantown this season. Led by quarterback Will Grier, the Mountaineers were in contention for a Big 12 title and playoff spot entering November.

They fell short of a spot in the Big 12 title game, losing to Oklahoma at home in the regular-season finale to finish 8-3. With Grier and star offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste sitting out, the Mountaineers lost the Camping World Bowl to Syracuse last week. West Virginia is facing a significant rebuild next season with Grier, Cajuste, star receiver David Sills V and linebacker David Long all headed to the NFL.

Houston has been trying to work its way into a Power Five conference, preferably the Big 12, and is hoping Holgorsen can help make them a viable option in a process in which the school has little control.

Holgorsen is two years into a contract that runs through the 2021 season and pays him $3.5 million per year. Houston will owe West Virginia a $1 million buyout.

■ Florida running back Jordan Scarlett and linebacker Vosean Joseph have decided to enter the NFL draft. The juniors are the fourth and fifth Florida players to leave school early and turn pro.

Scarlett ran for 776 yards and five touchdowns in 2018. He sat out all of 2017 while being investigated for his role in a credit card scam. He was eventually charged with fraudulent use of a credit card and identity theft. He entered a pretrial intervention program that resulted in the dismissal of the charges.

Joseph led the Gators (10-3) with 93 tackles this season. Nine of his tackles were for a loss, including four sacks.

Defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson declared for the draft in late November. Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor and defensive end Jachai Polite did the same following the Peach Bowl.

■ Oklahoma receiver Marquise Brown will skip his senior season and declare himself eligible for the NFL draft. Brown, whose cousin is Pittsburgh Steelers star Antonio Brown, is nicknamed “Hollywood” for his flashy play and the name of his hometown in Florida. In two seasons, he caught 132 passes for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns.

■ Michigan cornerback David Long is entering the NFL draft and skipping his senior season. The eighth-ranked Wolverines were without defensive end Rashan Gary and linebacker Devin Bush in their 41-15 loss to No. 10 Florida in the Peach Bowl after both juniors declared themselves eligible for the draft. Long, voted All-Big Ten by coaches, chose to play in the bowl.

■ Washington safety Taylor Rapp declared for the NFL draft, giving up his final year of eligibility after being a second-team AP All-America selection.