Bennie Wylie Named Director of Football Strength & Performance

HOUSTON – Bennie Wylie, one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the country, joins Houston Football following 18 seasons at as the head strength coach at five Power 4 college football programs as Director of Strength and Performance, head coach Willie Fritz announced on Friday.

Wylie, who will serve as the Cougars Director of Strength and Performance is one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the country, joining Houston following successful seasons at USC, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Texas Tech and the Dallas Cowboys.

"I am really excited to add Coach Wylie to our staff," Fritz said. "He has a decorated record of success at the Power 4 Conference level where he has coached at five different big-time programs as well as in the NFL and at the Texas high school level. He is a great motivator and communicator who knows how to develop football athletes to win conference titles and compete nationally while also preparing them the NFL."

During his time in college football, 56 collegiate stars trained under Wylie before hearing their name called in the NFL Draft. His teams won 16 bowl games, made two College Football Playoff or National Championship appearances and appeared in two BCS Bowl games.

Among the 56 NFL draft picks that trained under Wylie, six were first round picks, including USC's Caleb Williams, Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree, Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb and Kyler Murray. Marquise Brown and Jordan Addison also trained and competed for teams where Wylie led the strength and performance programing of the team.

While at USC, the Trojans competed in the 2023 Cotton Bowl, 2023 Holiday Bowl and 2024 Las Vegas Bowl. Throughout the offseason between the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Wylie and his staff coached the Trojans to collectively put on over 1,400 pounds of muscle.

Wylie spent the four years (2018-21) prior to USC as Oklahoma's director of sports performance for football. The Sooners won the Big 12 title in 2018, 2019 and 2020, made a pair of College Football Playoff semifinal appearances in 2018 and 2019 and also played in the Cotton Bowl in the 2020 season and the Alamo Bowl in 2021.

Prior to his time at OU, he served as director of performance at The Performance Lab, a private group-training strength and fitness center in Abilene, Tex. He also provided training and obstacle fitness to United States military personnel as a staff member of Alpha Warrior.

Wylie spent three years (2011-13) as strength and conditioning head coach for football at Texas. The Longhorns appeared in the 2011 Holiday Bowl and 2012 and 2013 Alamo Bowl.

The Mexia, Texas native spent the 2010 season at Tennessee as strength and conditioning head coach for football. The Volunteers participated in the Music City Bowl.

He served 7 seasons (2003-09) as head strength and conditioning coach at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders competed in bowl games in each season: 2003 Houston Bowl, 2004 Holiday Bowl, 2006 Cotton Bowl, 2006 Insight Bowl, 2008 Gator Bowl, 2009 Cotton Bowl and 2010 Alamo Bowl.

Before getting into Power football, Wylie was an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Dallas Cowboys from 1999 to 2002, helping rehabilitate injured players. He also spent the spring seasons heading the strength and conditioning program for the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League.

He got his start in strength and conditioning as a graduate assistant at Sam Houston State in 1998 and was named the Bearkats' interim head strength and conditioning coach that same year.

He is certified by the Titleist Performance Institute and USA Weightlifting and was named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association in 2012.

He was a 4-year (1994-97) letterwinning running back at Sam Houston State, serving as the team captain in 1997 while earning All-Southland Conference second team honors. He also was on the Bearkats' track and field team.

He earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Sam Houston State in 1999 and prepped at Mexia (Tex.) High School.

Wylie and his wife, Jennifer, have twin sons, Braden and Caden, and a daughter, Hope.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"Coach Wylie is a tremendous human being who was a vital part of our championships and success over the years. Coach Fritz could not have found a better leader and coach!" – Lincoln Riley, USC Football Head Coach, former Oklahoma Football Head Coach

"I love Bennie Wylie. He did great work for us at Texas and is tough, disciplined, understands the modern techniques of strength and conditioning training, and is a great communicator. Congrats to Coach Fritz on a fantastic hire." – Mack Brown, former Texas Football Head Coach

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