Dana Holgorsen fired as Houston football coach after five seasons, AP source says

Houston Cougars fired football coach Dana Holgorsen on Sunday, a day after finishing his third losing season in five years, according to a person familiar with move.

person spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity because firing hn’t been announced.

Cougars ended year with three consecutive losses, capped by a 27-13 defeat at UCF on Saturday. Houston was 4-8 overall and 2-7 in Big 12 play in its inaugural season in newly configured conference.

Houston’s disappointing finish, which included losses in five of its last six games, leaves team out of a bowl for first time since Holgorsen’s first season in 2019.

He finished 31-28 in five seasons in Houston.

Cougars me a splash when y hired 52-year-old Holgorsen away from West Virginia after eight seasons. No coach h willingly left a Power Five school for one outside of those conferences since College Football Playoff was established in 2014.

Houston’s best season under Holgorsen came in 2021. when he led team to a 12-2 record and a perfect 8-0 mark in American Athletic Conference. Cougars finished 17th in final AP Top 25 poll that season.

But he couldn’t build on that success, and Houston went 8-5 last season while competing in American before this season’s nosedive.

Holgorsen h four years left on his contract after it was extended following his success in 2021 and is owed approximately $14.8 million, according to USA Today's database on coaching salaries.

Holgorsen was 61-41 and 33-30 in Big 12 with West Virginia, which he helped transition from Big East before joining Cougars.

Holgorsen took over at Houston when school fired coach Major Applewhite after two disappointing seasons in which he went 15-10.