HOUSTON — In Willie Fritz‘s second year on the job, the Houston coach elevated the Cougars’ program from 4-8 to 10-3 and a Texas Bowl win. Given Fritz’s background in turning around programs, that shouldn’t be a surprise. Fritz has been a head coach since 1993 when he took a JUCO job at Brenham (Texas) Blinn College. After a long run of stops at Central Missouri, Sam Houston State, Georgia Southern and Tulane, Fritz got his shot at a Power Four job with the Cougars in 2024. His resume boasts a record 222-127 with several championships along the way.
His first season was full of ups and downs on the field, but the Cougars showed that they could be a force on the recruiting trail. The most notable win was keeping Keisean Henderson at home. The No. 1 overall player in the class of 2026 chose the Cougars over offers from every major program nationally. Henderson enrolled at Houston this past spring and instantly turned heads with his athleticism and game-breaking ability.
Barring injury, Henderson will likely take a backseat to entrenched starter Conner Weigman, another local talent who was highly rated coming out of high school. Still, that hasn’t stopped the staff from getting him prepared to take over in the event something happens. When Fritz took the podium Monday at the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention, Henderson was a popular subject.
