Houston Cougars reportedly hire Major Applewhite as new head coach

The Houston Cougars have reportedly promoted offensive coordinator Major Applewhite to head coach. 

For a while now, it has been assumed Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin would be hired as the new head coach of the Houston Cougars. However, reports are surfacing that the Cougars are going a different direction. According to Bruce Feldman, they will promote offensive coordinator Major Applewhite to head coach.

This is quite the change from hiring Kiffin. While Applewhite has an impressive resume as an offensive mastermind, he has no experience as a head coach. He got his start at the University of Texas as a graduate assistant. After serving as the quarterbacks coach for Syracuse University, Applewhite went to Rice for a season as their offensive coordinator. Following one year as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama, he returned to Texas for three seasons. Applewhite spent two years as the Cougars’ offensive coordinator.

Houston is gambling on him to be as great of a head coach as he was an offensive coordinator. Traditionally, his teams have been at worst above average on offense. Applewhite surely knows a lot of former head coach Tom Herman’s secrets. With him as their head coach, the Cougars should be able to keep most of what made them successful under Herman.

Applewhite gets to stay in the same state where he is beloved. Not only do the Cougars love him, the Longhorns do as well. Their love for him extends past his three seasons on their coaching staff. Applewhite is arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of the University of Texas. At worst, he is among the greatest.

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Herman got hired to be the Longhorns’ new head coach. Hiring Applewhite ensures his legacy will continue at the University of Houston.