Houston Cougars football
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For current information on this topic, see 2008 Houston Cougars football team |
| Houston Cougars football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Houston Cougars football team | |||
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| First season | 1946 | ||
| Staff | |||
| Athletic director | Dave Maggard | ||
| Head coach | Kevin Sumlin | ||
| 1st year, 0–0–0 | |||
| Stadium | |||
| Home stadium | Robertson Stadium | ||
| Stadium capacity | 32,000 | ||
| Stadium surface | Grass | ||
| Location | Houston, Texas | ||
| League/Conference | |||
| Conference | Conference USA | ||
| Division | West | ||
| Team records | |||
| All-time record | 350–318–15 (.523) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 7–10–1 | ||
| Awards | |||
| Conference titles | Missouri Valley: 4 Southwest: 4 Conference USA: 2 |
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| Heisman winners | 1 | ||
| All-Americans | 18 | ||
| Pageantry | |||
| Colors | Scarlet and White | ||
| Fight song | Cougar Fight Song | ||
| Mascot | Shasta | ||
| Marching band | Spirit of Houston | ||
| Rivals | Rice Owls Texas Longhorns |
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| Website | UHCougars.com | ||
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH". The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA college athletic conference, and is coached by Kevin Sumlin. The team began its first season in 1946, and currently plays its home games at Robertson Stadium on-campus in Houston. Throughout the Cougars history, the team has won 10 conference championships, and has had several inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame, including a Heisman Trophy winner.
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[edit] History
[edit] Wallace era
In 1941, Johnny Goyen, then sports editor for The Cougar, and Jack Valenti, president of the sophomore class, began a petition for an official intercollegiate football team at the university. The next year, the two called a student body meeting to organize another petition.[1] This petition's purpose was to challenge Rice Institute (later known as Rice University) to a football game. The Rice Owls were an established team, having played since 1919, the team was a part of the Southwest Conference.
In September of 1946, the team became a reality after Jewell Wallace, the school's first head football coach held tryouts.[1] 130 students showed up, only ten of which had actually played college football before. Many of the married students lived on-campus at a makeshift village for World War II veterans, while some others lived in the university's recreation center in bunks for naval recruits training at UH during the war.[1] Prior to joining the Cougars, Wallace served as head coach for San Angelo High School.
During the spring training for the first team, Goyen and Valenti's petition was finally answered, as Coach Wallace arranged a small practice game between Rice and Houston.[1] The meeting was to be at Rice. When the team arrived at the field in their practice uniforms, they realized that the game was much more serious. Officials were there, and the stadium was full of spectators. The game ended with Rice demolishing the Houston Cougars. The game had an attendance of 11,000. It wouldn't be until 1971 that the Cougars and Owls competed again.
Playing in Houston Public School Stadium as a part of the Lone Star Conference on September 21, 1946, the Cougars played their first official game against Southwestern Louisiana Institute (later known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette).[2] Although Charlie Manichia, the Cougars' starting quarterback scored the first touchdown of the game (and in Cougar history), the team lost to SLI 13-7.[3]
The next game, the Cougars played against West Texas State Teachers College (later known as West Texas A&M University), and won their first game 14-12. The Cougars finished up their first season with a 4-6-0 record. Wallace continued as head coach for the Cougars until the end of the 1947 season, when Clyde Lee took over.
[edit] Lee era
Clyde Lee, a University of Tulsa assistant coach, became Houston's second head coach in 1948. To replace the remainder of Wallace's team that didn't return, Lee turned to junior colleges for the majority of his recruiting.[1] At this time, the University of Houston, along with Texas Tech University, attempted to join the established Southwest Conference, but were rejected. In response, several universities from the Lone Star Conference formed the Gulf Coast Conference. This marked the Cougars' first time playing as an NCAA University division team (later known as Division I-A and now Football Bowl Subdivision). Also during this time, Lee setup formal housing facilities for students.[1]
In 1951, the Cougars began playing in the Missouri Valley Conference, moved into Houston Stadium, and made it to their first bowl game. The next season, proved to be a breakout one for the Cougars, and the team claimed the conference title. In addition to being ranked #19 in the nation by UPI (the first time the Cougars were nationally ranked), 1952 also marked the first meetings between UH and Texas A&M University, University of Arkansas, and Ole Miss. J.D. Kimmel, a former player for the Army Black Knights, became Houston's first All-American when the Associated Press chose him for the 1952 team. The year after, UH met with the University of Texas at Austin for the first time in football. Such events proved that the team was growing quickly. However, in 1954, Lee left UH after a 37-32-2 overall record. Lee was credited with having transitioned the Cougars from a small-time team to a legitimate collegiate force in football.
[edit] Meek era
After a 45 day search for a head coach replacement, Bill Meek, a successful coach from Kansas State University signed a contract with the Cougars. The Cougars' 1955 opening game against the University of Montana marked a 54-12 victory, the first opening victory since 1948. It was during this season that UH attempted to gain a membership to the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Ole Miss, UH's sponsor to the conference had played the Cougars in their ninth game of the season, and although the Cougars lost, Ole Miss felt the team was worthwhile. The SEC decided to wait a year to determine whether UH would be a member of the conference.
The 1956 season was thus an important one for the team. The Cougars won the Missouri Valley Conference title for the second time, and tied with the Southwest Conference's nationally ranked Texas A&M Aggies during their meeting. However, UH lost to both SEC scheduled teams during the season. Both Southwest Conference and Southeastern Conference bids by the Cougars were once again rejected. During the next season, Meek left UH for Southern Methodist University.
[edit] Lahar era
The Cougars' next coach, Hal Lahar, came from Colgate University, where he served as head coach. In college, Lahar had played for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he was a part of the school's first bowl team. Under Lahar, during the 1958 season, the Cougars became a nationally recognized offensive leader, as the team scored a combined 117 points in their first three games.
After winning the Missouri Valley Conference titles again in 1957 and 1959, Lahar left UH in 1961, and headed back to Colgate University.
[edit] Yeoman era
Under Hall of Fame coach Bill Yeoman, the Cougars compiled a record of 160-108-8. His 160 victories rank 51st on the NCAA all time list, and make him the winningest coach in Cougar history. He used the Veer offense in 1964 which quickly helped lead the Cougars to national prominence. Yeoman's Cougars finished the season ranked in the Top 10 four times and 10 times in the Top 20.
In 1964, Yeoman broke the color barrier for major Texas football programs when the University of Houston signed San Antonio’s Warren McVea to a scholarship.
For three straight years Houston led the nation in total offense, averaging 437 yards a game in 1966, 427 in 1967, and 562 in 1968. The 1968 total was an NCAA record at the time. Houston also led the nation in scoring, 42.5 points a game that year.
He guided the Cougars to four Southwest Conference Championships – 1976, 1978, 1979 & 1984 - and a 6-4-1 record in bowl games including Cotton Bowl victories over the University of Maryland in 1977 and the University of Nebraska in 1980. In 1976, Houston’s first year as a member of the SWC, Yeoman was named Texas Coach of the Year and runner-up for National Coach of the Year. Yeoman was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. He coached 46 All-Americans and 69 NFL players.
However, his career was not without controversy. In 1986, allegations surfaced regarding illegal recruiting inducements and extra benefits for his players. Subsequently, in 1988, the program was placed on probation. Yeoman was alleged to have handed out cash to players and provided them with illegal transportation and lodging.
Yeoman is the longest-serving coach in Cougar history, having been with the team from 1962 to 1986. After retiring as head coach, Yeoman remained with the Cougars as a fundraiser, a position he still holds today.
[edit] Pardee era
Following Bill Yeomans retirement after a 1-10 campaign in 1986, the University of Houston hired Jack Pardee who had been a head coach with the Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins and the USFL's Houston Gamblers. Pardee brought with him, the Run & Shoot offense and a young offensive coordinator named John Jenkins. The offense involved passing on most downs. The Cougars were one of the top offensive teams in the country during the Run & Shoot years.
In 1987, Pardee's first year, the team struggled some adjusting to the new coaching staff but did defeat the University of Texas in a home upset. The next season was much better as the Cougars went 9-3 in 1988, eventually finishing 2nd in the Southwest Conference and played in the Aloha Bowl (losing 24-22 to Washington State). The Cougars offense was led by Andre Ware, who was originally recruited by Bill Yeoman as a veer-option quarterback. At the end of the '88 season, UH was #18 in the AP Top 25 Poll.
Things only got better in the 1989 season, as Andre Ware put up unprecedented passing numbers en route to winning the 1989 Heisman Trophy. Ware passed for 4,299 yards and threw 44 touchdown passes. His best performance was a 475 yard passing day in the Cougars' 47-9 rout of the University of Texas. Only hours after the Cougars' 61-0 win over rival Rice University, Ware was named the Heisman. The Cougars finished the '89 season 9-2 and 2nd in the Southwest Conference, but did not go to a bowl game. UH finished the season at #14 in the AP poll.
At the conclusion of the '89 season, Pardee was named head coach of the Houston Oilers and John Jenkins was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach.
[edit] Jenkins era
Jenkins came to the helm at UH as a hot-shot young coach, who was considered the brains behind the high-powered Run & Shoot offense. Never was this offense more prominent and successful than the 1990 season.
Led by David Klingler, the offense put up even more eye-popping numbers in the '90 season. The Cougars got as high as #3 in the Top 25 polls, but dropped out of national championship consideration following a loss to the #14 Texas Longhorns. Since the team was on probation at the time, there was debate about what would happen if UH was in position to play for the National Championship. Also of note, David Klingler threw 11 touchdown passes in a single game on November 17 against Eastern Washington University at the Astrodome. Although UH could not play in a bowl game, they played in a quasi-bowl game in Japan against Arizona State University. The two teams ended up combining for over 1,000 yards passing. The Cougars finished the 1990 season with a 10-1 record and #10 in the AP poll. Klingler also finished 3rd in Heisman polling, behind BYU's Ty Detmer (1st) and Notre Dame's Raghib Ismail(2nd).
Despite returning Klingler and many others, the 1991 season was not as successful as the previous one was. Some say the program started to decline after the Miami Hurricanes pounded the Cougars on national television. The '91 season marked the first time opposing defenses began to figure out the Run & Shoot offense, although the Cougars did defeat the Texas Longhorns that season. The offense began to struggle against fast defense that simply chose to blitz the Cougars on every down. Opposing teams also complained about John Jenkins' tendency to "run up" the score on inferior opponents. The Cougars finished the '91 season with a 4-7 record.
Following the '91 season, David Klingler was selected #6 overall in the 1992 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.
The 1992 season was more of the same, with Jimmy Klingler putting up huge numbers against inferior competition and the Cougars struggling against the better SWC teams. People began to question the Cougars' lack of defense and whether Jenkins was cut out to be a head coach. The '92 season ended with the Cougars finishing 4-7 once again.
John Jenkins was a fairly controversial figure because of his propensity to run up the score and his paranoia about opposing teams stealing his offense. It was rumored also that Jenkins spliced topless women into game film during team film sessions. Combine all that with growing anti-athletics sentiment among the UH faculty and Jenkins resigned under pressure on April 17th, 1993. Jenkins finished with an 18-15 overall record and spent the better part of the following decade coaching in the Canadian Football League. To this day Jenkins is one of the top donors to UH Football, despite being poorly treated at the end of his time.
In a crunch to hire a coach, Houston athletic director Bill Carr hired Kim Helton, an offensive line coach with the Houston Oilers and Miami Dolphins.
[edit] Helton era
When Kim Helton was hired, the Houston athletic department was desperate to have a clean program after probation during the Pardee and Jenkins years.
Despite returning all 11 starters on offense, Helton changed the offense from the high-powered Run & Shoot to a slow, run-based offense that had copious amounts of draw plays. Gone were the days of high-powered, fun to watch offenses. In the first three seasons (1993-95), the Cougars went a combined 4-28 overall.
Helton preferred recruiting Junior College players from Florida, Georgia and Mississippi to local players. This meant that the local pipeline that so many UH teams relied on, dried up under Helton. Many local high school coaches claimed that they never saw Helton during his seven years on Cullen Boulevard. Helton had a significantly smaller amount of Houston players on his recruiting rosters than previous Cougars teams.
Helton also had the nickname "Love Coach" stemming from a time where he gave some impromptu love advice before an interview on a local Houston radio station. From then on, he did a weekly show where he gave love advice.
At the end of the '95 season, the Southwest Conference folded, and UH moved to the Conference USA. In the inaugural season of the C-USA, led by future NFL running back Antowain Smith and quarterback Chuck Clements the Cougars went 7-5 and defeated Southern Miss for the '96 C-USA Football Championship. They eventually lost in the Liberty Bowl 30-17 to #21 Syracuse.
The team then went 3-8 in each of the following two seasons. In 1999, which would be Helton's final season, the Cougars went 7-4, and Ketric Sanford broke nearly all Houston rushing records. Despite the winning season, Helton was fired at the end of the year.
The Cougars went 24-53 overall under Helton.
After going the established route, the school hired a young, 37 year old coach from the University of Wyoming named Dana Dimel.
[edit] Dimel era
After coaching at Kansas State under legendary coach Bill Snyder, Dana Dimel took the reigns of the Wyoming Cowboys for 3 seasons and went 23-12 in that time. After his success at Wyoming, Dimel took on the Houston job.
It was reported that Marshall's Bob Pruett had accepted the Houston coaching position, but backed out at the last moment. Dimel stepped into a situation where fan support was at an all-time low and local coaches criticized the program.
In the 2000 season, the Cougars went 3-4 to open the season, and featuring a wide-open offense that hadn't been seen in years. But the team collapsed down the stretch, and lost the rest of their games to finish 3-8. During the off-season Dimel brought in one of the best rated UH recruiting classes in decades, and began re-opening the local pipelines of talented players.
Despite all the positive feelings from the first recruiting class, the 2001 season was an unmitigated disaster, and the Cougars went 0-11 in the season. It was the first winless season in the history of Houston Cougar football. Despite going winless, Dimel still brought in the top recruiting class in Conference USA, which featured Jackie Battle, Willie Gaston, Will Gulley and RoShawn Pope.
The team fared better in the 2002 season, but new athletic director Dave Maggard was fairly deadset on changing coaches if Dimel did not deliver a bowl season. Late in the year with the Coogs having a 4-7 record, Maggard told Dimel he would not be coming back next season. The final game of the season was a 27-10 win over Louisville, which spoiled the Cardinals' chances of winning the Conference USA.
[edit] Briles era
In 2003, Art Briles was hired as head coach at the University of Houston, where he took over a program that had sunk to new depths under Dana Dimel. The Cougars had won eight games in Dimel’s three-year reign and went 0–11 just two years before Briles’ arrival. In his first season, Briles led the Cougars to a 7–5 record, including a 48-54 triple overtime loss to Hawaiʻi, in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
After a 3–8 season in 2004, Briles guided the Cougars to a 6–6 season and another bowl game in 2005. In 2006, he led the Cougars to a 10–4 record and the Conference USA Championship that was played on December 1, 2006. The Cougars won the game 34-20 and it was the school's second C-USA Championship (the first came in 1996, in the school's inaugural season in the C-USA).
In 2007, the Cougars finished second in the Conference USA West Division to Todd Graham's Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. On November 25, 2007, the Cougars were invited to the Texas Bowl, and accepted. Two days later, Briles interviewed for the Baylor Bears head coach position, and was hired the next day. Despite criticism from many Houston fans, Briles promptly left Houston for Waco, and did not return to coach the Cougars for their bowl game in December. Briles had also convinced several top recruits and offensive coordinators for the Cougars to join him. Houston gained a head coach when cornerbacks coach Chris Thurmond was announced as an interim coach. However, the Cougars lost the Texas Bowl to the TCU Horned Frogs.
On December 14, 2007, Kevin Sumlin, a co-offensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners was named as the Houston Cougars head coach. Sumlin became the first African-American head coach in Cougar history, and the eighth in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision. In his final year with the Sooners, his offense was one of the best in the country, averaging 44 points per game.[4]
[edit] Conference affiliations
The Houston Cougars' football program started the same year as its basketball program in 1946. The Cougars played in the Lone Star Conference for their first few seasons until 1948. During this time the Cougars played as part of NCAA's College Division which was designated for small colleges. The university then decided to leave for the Gulf Coast Conference, where the team began playing in NCAA's University Division. From 1951 to 1959 Houston played in the Missouri Valley Conference, and in 1960 the Houston Cougars played independently of any athletic conference. In 1973, the Cougars continued with NCAA's football division changes as a Division I school where it continued as an independent team. In 1976, the Cougars began to play in its first athletic conference since 1959 when it joined the now defunct Southwest Conference. After the breakup of this specific conference in 1995, Houston became a charter member of then newly formed Conference USA in the West division where it currently plays.
[edit] Records and awards
[edit] Bowl history
Despite having participated in eight bowl games since 1980, the Houston Cougars have not won any since the Garden State Bowl of that year. This puts the Cougars in second place, behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, for the all-time longest bowl game losing streak.[5] The following is the full bowl game history for the team. The AP Poll ranking, if any, is given before the team name in parentheses.
[edit] Top 25 poll rankings
The Houston Cougars have finished in the AP Poll and Coaches' Poll fifteen times in the program's history. The team's highest ranking was during the 1976 season, where the Cougars were ranked fourth. Note: The AP Poll began in 1936, and the Coaches' Poll began in 1950. Before 1990, only the top 20 teams were ranked in the AP Poll.
| Year | AP Poll ranking | Coaches' Poll ranking |
| 1952 | N/A | 19 |
| 1966 | N/A | 17 |
| 1967 | N/A | 19 |
| 1968 | 18 | 20 |
| 1969 | 12 | 16 |
| 1970 | 19 | 13 |
| 1971 | 17 | 14 |
| 1973 | 9 | 13 |
| 1974 | 19 | 11 |
| 1976 | 4 | 4 |
| 1978 | 10 | 11 |
| 1979 | 5 | 5 |
| 1988 | 18 | N/A |
| 1989 | 14 | N/A |
| 1990 | 10 | N/A |
[edit] Conference championships
The Cougars have won ten conference championships in their history, half of which were outright championships. From 1960 to 1975, the Cougars were not affiliated with any conference, and did not participate in any conference championships.
| Year | Overall Record | Conference Record | Coach | Conference |
| 1952 | 8-2-0 | 3-0-0 | Clyde Lee | Missouri Valley Conference |
| 1956 | 7-2-1 | 4-0-0 | Bill Meek | Missouri Valley Conference |
| 1957 | 5-4-1 | 3-0-0 | Bill Meek/Hal Lahar | Missouri Valley Conference |
| 1959 | 3-7-0 | 3-1-0 | Hal Lahar | Missouri Valley Conference |
| 1976 | 10-2-0 | 7-1-0 | Bill Yeoman | Southwest Conference |
| 1978 | 9-3-0 | 7-1-0 | Bill Yeoman | Southwest Conference |
| 1979 | 11-1-0 | 7-1-0 | Bill Yeoman | Southwest Conference |
| 1984 | 7-5-0 | 6-2-0 | Bill Yeoman | Southwest Conference |
| 1996 | 7-5-0 | 4-1-0 | Kim Helton | Conference USA |
| 2006 | 10-4-0 | 8-1-0 | Art Briles | Conference USA |
[edit] Individual awards
[edit] National award winners
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Heisman Trophy winners
Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award
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[edit] College Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Jack Pardee, Coach, 1986
- Andre Ware, Quarterback, 2004
- Wilson Whitley, Defensive Tackle, 2007
- Bill Yeoman, Coach, 2001
[edit] Head coaching records
- Jewell Wallace, 7-14-0 (1946-47)
- Clyde Lee, 37-32-2 (1948-54)
- Bill Meek, 13-6-1 (1955-56)
- Harold Lahar, 24-23-2 (1957-61)
- Bill Yeoman, 160-108-8 (1962-86)
- Jack Pardee, 22-11-1 (1987-89)
- John Jenkins, 18-15-0 (1990-92)
- Kim Helton, 24-53-1 (1993-99)
- Dana Dimel, 8-26-0 (2000-02)
- Art Briles, 34-28-0 (2003-07)
- Chris Thurmond, 0-1-0 (2007)
- Kevin Sumlin, Will make head coaching debut in 2008
[edit] Future non-conference opponents
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| vs. Southern | at UCLA | vs. UCLA | at UCLA | |
| at Oklahoma State | ||||
| vs. Air Force | ||||
| at Colorado State |
[edit] Facilities
[edit] Robertson Stadium
From the program's inception, until the end of the 1950 season, the Cougars played their home games in the Houston Public School Stadium, which would eventually be renamed to Robertson Stadium in 1980. However, the Cougars did not return to the stadium until the 1998 season following renovations. This remains their home stadium today. Along with the Cougars, the stadium is home to Houston's Major League Soccer team, the Houston Dynamo.
[edit] Houston Stadium
In 1951, Houston Stadium, a stadium subsidized by the city of Houston opened. Until 1964, the Cougars played their home games in Houston Stadium along with Rice University. During this time, President John F. Kennedy gave his famous address regarding the nation's space effort at the stadium. It is now simply known as Rice Stadium, and is only home to the Rice Owls.
[edit] Astrodome
In 1965, the Astrodome was officially opened, and the Cougars moved in the same year. In 1968, the Bluebonnet Bowl also changed its location to the stadium, and the Cougars regularly began to participate in the bowl. After the 1997 season, following renovations, the Cougars moved back into Robertson Stadium. The Astrodome remains the team's longest serving home stadium.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Wizig, Jerry (1977). Eat 'Em Up, Cougars: Houston Football. The Strode Publishers, Inc. ISBN 873971221.
- ^ Facilities: John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium. University of Houston athletics. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Carpenter, Tom (2003-09-10). "Cougar '48 alum was UH's first sports hero". The Daily Cougar. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Mark Schlabach, Yellow Jackets, Wolverines, Midshipmen earn high marks, ESPN.com, December 17, 2007.
- ^ Griffin, Tim. "Sumlin ideal to recruit fertile Houston landscape". ESPN. Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
[edit] Further reading
- Wizig, Jerry (1977). Eat 'Em Up, Cougars: Houston Football. The Strode Publishers, Inc. ISBN 873971221.
[edit] External links
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