According to the Houston Chronicle, Houston fired coach Dana Holgorsen on Sunday. Holgorsen compiled a 31-28 record during his tenure, but stumbled to a 4-8 mark as the Cougars advanced to the Big 12 this season.
The Cougars were 4-5 and had a chance to reach a bowl game after beating Baylor 25-24 in overtime on Nov. 4. Unfortunately for Holgorsen, Houston lost three straight games to end the year, with all three losses coming by double digits. The culmination was a 27-13 loss to UCF in which the Coogs passed for 476-259 total yards, including 223-94 on the ground.
Landing Holgorsen was viewed as a coup in 2018 as Houston tried to push for membership in the Big 12. He left West Virginia after eight seasons to sign a contract that paid him an average of $4 million per season, one of the richest contracts in the Group of Five. The contract had a kick that immediately paid Holgorsen an additional $1 million bonus if Houston achieved membership in the Power Conference.
In 2021, Holgorsen led Houston to a 12-2 record and an appearance in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game and No. 17 spot in the AP Top 25. However, a year later, despite returning quarterback Clayton Tune, the Coogs fell to 8-5 before reached their lowest point in 2023.
Holgorsen signed a contract extension in 2022 that increased his salary to $4.5 million per season. With his termination, he is now entitled to nearly $15 million in severance pay as Houston begins its first coaching search of the Big 12 era.
CBS Sports will have a takeaway soon as Houston has parted ways with Holgorsen.