Houston set to fire coach Holgorsen, sources say

Houston is set to dismiss football coach Dana Holgorsen, who had three losing seasons in his five years at the Cougars’ helm, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Houston went 4-8 in its inaugural Big 12 season, which included a loss at Rice in September and three straight losses to end the year. The Cougars finished 2-7 in the Big 12, with their wins coming in overtime against Baylor and on a last-second 49-yard touchdown against West Virginia.

The Cougars will owe Holgorsen nearly $14.8 million in buyout money, but it does include a mitigation clause that could lower the amount when Holgorsen gets another job.

Holgorsen’s time at Houston included some bright spots. The Cougars received an invitation to the Big 12, and they went 12-2 in 2021, including a Birmingham Bowl win over Auburn.

Houston is expected to execute a focused search, with sources telling ESPN that Tulane’s Willie Fritz and UTSA’s Jeff Traylor are among the top targets.

Houston is seeking stability and experience as it attempts to build itself into a competitive Big 12 program, sources said. The Cougars were among the four transitioning members of the league, all of whom finished in the lower half of the league standings.

Holgorsen finishes his tenure at Houston with a 31-28 record over his five seasons.