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When Houston visits Colorado on Friday at 8:15 p.m. MT, head coach Willie Fritz will bring more than three decades of head coaching experience to Folsom Field. Fritz, who was hired on Dec. 3, 2023, as the 16th head coach in Houston history, is in his third season with the Cougars.
Houston comes into Friday's matchup with a 7-2 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the Big 12, following a 10-win season and a Texas Bowl victory over LSU in 2025. In Fritz's first season, the Cougars won four games before improving by six wins in Year 2, finishing No. 19 in the AP Poll.
Fritz's head coaching career began at Blinn College in 1993, where he won two junior college national championships over four seasons. He then spent 13 seasons at Central Missouri, compiling a 97-47 record. At Sam Houston, Fritz guided the Bearkats to consecutive FCS national championship games in 2011 and 2012.
His next stop brought a Sun Belt championship at Georgia Southern in 2014, the program's first FBS season. Fritz took over at Tulane in 2016 and eventually delivered one of the program's best seasons. The Green Wave went 12-2 in 2022, winning the American Athletic Conference championship before beating Southern California 46-45 in the Cotton Bowl. Tulane returned to the conference championship game the following season.
This week, Fritz praised Colorado's talent and warned that Houston would need to play well to avoid a road loss. "Everybody in this league's pretty good," Fritz said. "And if you don't hook it up and play well, you're gonna get your butt beat." Houston beat Colorado 36-20 last September, and Friday will be the Cougars' first football game in Boulder.
Key Analysis
Fritz's extensive experience and track record of turning programs around make him a formidable opponent for Colorado. His ability to elevate teams, as seen at Blinn, Central Missouri, Sam Houston, Georgia Southern, and Tulane, suggests Houston will be well-prepared. The Cougars' recent success and Fritz's emphasis on execution could pose a significant challenge for the Buffaloes in Boulder.
Originally reported by yahoo.