When Willie Fritz was hired at Houston, he had to clean up the mess left behind as the Dana Holgorsen era fell apart with a 4-8 season, ending his tenure at 31-28. Houston hired Fritz in part due to the fast turnarounds he's completed at Central Houston, Sam Houston State, Georgia Southern, and Tulane.
The first season wasn't great for Willie Fritz and Houston, but it was never going to be with what was left behind. The Cougars went 4-8, but the building blocks were clearly starting to fall in place setting up for an exciting season.
This offseason, Houston balanced losing the likes of AJ Haulcy, Keionte Scott, and Anthony Holmes with additions of Conner Weigman, Dean Connors, and Tanner Koziol. The Cougars finished the regular season 9-3, flipping the results of the prior season, and if not for an embarrassing loss to West Virginia, the team could've been in Playoff consideration.
The Texas Bowl win is a launching point for Houston under Fritz
On Saturday Night, Houston got to cap off its season with a chance to get 10 wins on the season against LSU in the Texas Bowl. The Cougars were able to pull out a 38-35 victory as Conner Weigman capped off the season with a 4 touchdown performance.
While this is an LSU program that already fired its head coach and is balancing a ton of losses to the NFL Draft and Transfer Portal opt-outs, the perception is still that LSU is seen as greater than Houston. Adding a win over an SEC power to end the year is a massive momentum swing for the Cougars.
It's now clear that Willie Fritz is here to stay and after the results of this season, this team could quickly start competing for Big 12 Championships and College Football Playoff bids.
Conner Weigman will have a decision to make on his own future as he could return for one more season or decide to declare for the NFL Draft. In the end, it may not matter for Houston as the future has already arrived.
This recruiting cycle, Houston was able to pull off a rare feat, signing 5-star quarterback Keisean Henderson. The Houston native was one of the most sought-after players in the country, ranked as the 4th ranked player in the class, the 2nd ranked quarterback in the class, and the top player out of Texas.
As Houston was preparing for the Texas Bowl, Willie Fritz and his staff was able to get a look at their future quarterback as Keisean Henderson practiced with the team.
Keisean Henderson, the No. 1 player in 2026 class, has joined Houston for Texas Bowl. One of nine early enrollees for the Cougars. https://t.co/91QeKVm2lg pic.twitter.com/b1Kevf79Se
— Joseph Duarte (@Joseph_Duarte) December 22, 2025
The time for Houston has arrived, and now the Cougars need to capitalize on all the momentum they built this season. Winning 10 games for the first time in the Big 12 proves this team has what it takes to succeed, and now they'll need the NIL support to go out and continue adding exciting pieces for the future.
Willie Fritz has already done a great job, and now he has a massive momentum building win for the future long term.