3 reasons Major Applewhite is the right hire for Houston
By John Buhler
The Houston Cougars have promoted former offensive coordinator Major Applewhite as head coach. Here are three reasons this is the right call for Houston.
After losing former head coach Tom Herman to the Texas Longhorns head coaching vacancy, the Houston Cougars have wisely promoted Herman’s offensive coordinator Major Applewhite as Houston’s next head coach.
This is Applewhite’s first gig as a college football head coach. He has been a college coach since 2003 and has been at six different programs. Applewhite had been an offensive coordinator in four of those stops including Alabama, Texas, and Houston.
Applewhite is ready to lead his first college football program at 38 years old. Here are three reasons Houston did the right thing by promoting Applewhite to be its next head football coach.
3. Continuity
Houston seems to realize what it is as a football program. The Cougars are a stepping stone program for aspiring college football head coaches. Art Briles, Kevin Sumlin, and now Herman have used the Houston program to their advantage to land bigger Power 5 jobs in Texas.
By promoting Applewhite in-house, it in a way gives the Cougars program more continuity that it would have by hiring a Lane Kiffin or a Les Miles from the outside. The high-octane offense of the Cougars would remain intact with Applewhite in charge in Harris County.
This hire helps Houston in the recruiting game. There is a bigger familiarity with Applewhite entering his third year at Houston than there would be with a new head coach in town. It is more likely that Applewhite can sell the stability of the Houston program to the families of recruits than a Kiffin or Miles could. Like Briles, Sumlin, and Herman, they would use the Houston job to get a better job in a year or two’s time.
Applewhite won’t be ready to push for a big time Power 5 job for a few years. He would give the program a sense of continuity more than it has in recent years as a revolving door for aspiring head coaches.