Football
- Title:
- Head Coach
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• Coach Dana Holgorsen on Twitter
• Dana Holgorsen was named head coach at Houston on Jan. 1, 2019, after eight seasons as head coach at West Virginia.
• Throughout his career, Holgorsen has tutored 23 All-Americans, 11 national award winners and 14 national award finalists. In four NFL Drafts since taking the helm at Houston, 11 Cougar players have been selected including five in the top three rounds.
• With Holgorsen at the helm, Houston has won 20 games over its last two seasons (2021-22) marking the program's third highest total in a two-year span. The run has featured back-to-back bowl victories (2021 Birmingham Bowl; 2022 Independence Bowl) for the first time since 2014-15. With a win in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 23, 2022, Holgorsen became the first Houston Head Coach since Bill Yeoman to register multiple bowl victories.
• Houston, which joined the Big 12 Conference in July 2023, went 13-3 over its final 16 American Athletic Conference contests (2021-22). The Cougars won a national-best 10 road contests between 2021-22 including six consecutive matchups from Oct. 1, 2021-Oct. 22, 2022, which ranked as the nation's second longest streak in that timeframe.
• Since Holgorsen's arrival in 2019, Houston is the only program nationally to boast a punt return touchdown and kickoff return touchdown in four consecutive seasons (2019-22).
• Holgorsen guided Houston to an 8-5 record and Independence Bowl victory in 2022. The Cougars won six of their final eight games while ranking eighth nationally in passing offense (314.0), 10th in punt returns (15.0 per return), 11th in team tackles for loss (7.2 per game), 12th in passing efficiency (158.38) and 16th in scoring offense (36.1).
• As part of his commitment to the future of Houston Football, Holgorsen pledged $1 million towards University of Houston's "Houston Rise" campaign towards the development of the program's state-of-the-art Football Operations Center (FOC).
• Under his leadership in 2021, the Cougars won 12-plus games for just the third time in program history. Houston won 11 consecutive games, its longest stretch since 2011, en route to an appearance in The American Football Championship.
• In the 2021 Birmingham Bowl, Houston knocked off Auburn to clinch the program’s first bowl victory since 2015.
• Houston was one of six teams nationally to rank in the top 20 in both points per game (35.9) and opponent points per game (20.4).
• For the second time in his coaching career, Holgorsen tutored a Paul Hornung Award winner as consensus All-American Marcus Jones captured the award in 2021.
• Holgorsen closed his tenure at West Virginia as the second-winningest coach in Mountaineer history with an eight-year record of 61-41. His 61 wins trailed only College Football Hall of Famer Don Nehlen for most wins in West Virginia history.
• He led the Mountaineers to bowl games in seven of his eight seasons including each of the last five seasons. His first season at West Virginia ended with a 70-33 rout of Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
• He has displayed his ability to prepare players for the next level as West Virginia had 10 NFL draft picks in first three rounds in his final seven years, the second most in Big 12, including at least one Top-15 draft pick in four of his final seven years. In all, he had four NFL Top-15 draft picks during a seven-year stretch, the most in the Big 12, and 20 players drafted in seven years at WVU, tied for second-most in the Big 12 during that span.
• An offensive genius, his passing offenses and total offensive output have ranked in the Top 10 nationally all but four years during the  14-year span since he became offensive coordinator at Texas Tech in 2005.
• He's had eight quarterbacks pass for 4,000 or more yards and 10 throw for 30 or more touchdowns in a season  with 20 receivers finishing with 1,000 or more yards in a season, including 11 finish with 90 or more receptions and  16 finish with double figure TD receptions in a season.
• He is the only coach in West Virginia history to have coached a team with at least 450 rushing yards in a game  (Oklahoma, 2012) and at least 450 yards passing in a game (six times).
• He had 10 wins over Top 25 opponents in his eight-year tenure at WVU.
• West Virginia was ranked in both major polls at least one week in seven of his eight years including the entire 2018 season with several weeks inside the top 10.
• In 2018, Holgorsen  led a West Virginia team that was ranked every week during the season and finished the regular  season with a No. 15/16 ranking in both major polls.
• Under his leadership, quarterback Will Grier finished No. 4 in the Heisman Trophy race and was a finalist for the Maxwell Award, The Johnny  Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Senior CLASS Award and the Manning Award.   Grier was ranked in the top 10 nationally in 11 offensive categories and seven categories in the top five.
• In addition to Grier, three players earned All-America honors in David Long Jr., David Sills V and Yodny Cajuste while Dante Stills was  named a Freshman All-American.
• Long was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award while  Cajuste was named Big 12 Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year.
• West Virginia had a school-record eight players named to the All-Big 12 teams, including five on the first team   with 16 players named to the Academic All-Big 12 first and second teams.
• The 2018 offense ranked No. 3 in passing offense, No. 4 in passing efficiency, No. 8 in total offense and fourth-down  conversion, No. 9 in scoring offense, No. 12 in completion percentage and passing yards per completion and  No. 25 in third-down conversion.   The defense ranked No. 11 in tackles for loss, No. 28 in turnover margin, No. 28 in passes intercepted and No. 36  in third-down conversion defense.
• Outside of football, Holgorsen served as the chair of the WVU Medicine Children’s capital campaign, raising $60 million to build a new home for pediatric and maternal services.
• In 2017, he led the Mountaineers to a 7-6 record and 5-4 in the Big 12  Conference. WVU participated in its fourth-straight bowl game and sixth in the  seven years under Holgorsen’s direction as it took on Utah in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
• In 2016, the AFCA District 4 Regional Coach of the Year and Paul “Bear”  Bryant Coach of the Year finalist led the Mountaineers to a  10-3 overall mark and 7-2 record in the Big 12.
• His 2016 team achieved the ninth 10-win season in school history,  becoming one of six WVU teams to do it in the regular season. Holgorsen  is one of three WVU coaches, along with Nehlen and Rich Rodriguez,  to post multiple 10-win seasons. The seven Big 12 wins were the most in a  season, tying for second place in the standings, WVU’s highest finish.  In the national rankings, WVU’s offense was ranked No. 17 in total offense,  No. 20 in first down offense, No. 25 in rushing offense, No. 31 in pass  efficiency, No. 37 in passing yards per completion and No. 42 in pass offense.  Defensively, WVU was No. 24 in turnovers gained and fumbles recovered, No.  35 in passes intercepted and scoring defense and No. 38 in turnover margin.  WVU placed 10 players on the Big 12 All-Academic teams and 16 of his 21  seniors had their degrees when they played in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
• In 2015, Holgorsen guided the Mountaineers to eight wins, the most since  becoming a member of the Big 12 Conference, and finished the season with an  exciting, 43-42 Cactus Bowl victory over Arizona State. The Cactus  Bowl appearance saw the Mountaineers tie or break 19 individual or team,  school and Cactus Bowl records and produced 11 NCAA top 10 bowl rankings.  Nine players earned All-Big 12 Conference honors, including two being  named to All-America teams. There were seven All-Big 12 Academic team  selections and 17 players already had their degrees in hand when they played  in the bowl game, ranking among the top 10 nationally in number of graduates  playing in a bowl game.
• Holgorsen led the Mountaineers to a Liberty Bowl berth in 2014, his third  bowl in four seasons at WVU. West Virginia posted a 7-6 overall record and  5-4 in its third year in the Big 12 Conference and finished in a tie for fourth  place in Big 12 action.
• In 2013, Holgorsen coached the Mountaineers to victory over No. 11  Oklahoma State, marking his fifth win over a Top 25 team at WVU. He also had  six players earn All-Big 12 Conference honors, including the Big 12 Newcomer  of the Year.
• In 2012, Holgorsen led WVU into its first year of competition in the Big 12  Conference, guiding West Virginia to a 7-6 overall record and an appearance in  the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Five Mountaineers earned 25 All-America honors  and three were drafted in the top three rounds of the NFL draft. Holgorsen  is the only WVU coach to have had a first-round NFL draft choice for two  consecutive years (2011 and 2012).
• Holgorsen had a successful first season at WVU in 2011, coaching the  Mountaineers to a 10-3 record, the Big East championship and a 70-33 Orange  Bowl rout of Clemson. The victory was WVU’s third Bowl Championship Series  championship in school history and earned Holgorsen the First-Year Coach of  the Year award by the Football Writers Association of America.
•  Before West Virginia, Holgorsen spent the 2010 season as  offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. He was a finalist for the 2010  Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant, and  also named the rivals.com Offensive Coordinator of the Year.  The Cowboys led the nation in total offense during the regular  season and finished No. 2 in passing offense and No. 3 in total and  scoring offense. OSU averaged 520.23 yards per game in total offense,  including 345.9 passing yards and 44.23 points per game.  Oklahoma State’s offense ranked No. 61 nationally in total offense  in 2009, the year before Holgorsen arrived, and he took it to the No. 1  spot during the 2010 season. He helped lead the Cowboys to a school-record 10 wins during the  regular season and a win in the Valero Alamo Bowl, after preseason  predictions had OSU near the bottom of the Big 12 Conference.
• Postseason accolades rolled in for Holgorsen’s offensive players as  quarterback Brandon Weeden became the first OSU passer to earn  first team all-Big 12 honors. He was a finalist for the Manning Award,  given to the top quarterback in the nation.  Receiver Justin Blackmon won the 2010 Biletnikoff Award, given to  the top receiver in the nation, and running back Kendall Hunter was  a finalist for the Doak Walker  Award, given to the nation’s  top running back.  Weeden, Hunter and  Blackmon became only  the second trio in NCAA  history to pass for at least  3,000 yards, run for more  than 1,500 yards and finish  with more than 1,500 yards  receiving in the same  season.
• During his  two-year tenure with Houston, his offenses put up explosive  numbers, accounting for  563 yards of total offense  per game, passing for  433.7 yards per game and  totaling more than 42.2  points per game. His offense  ranked No. 3 in total offense  in 2008 and No. 1 in 2009.  His quarterback, Case  Keenum, led the nation in total offense in 2008 and 2009, totaling 403.2  yards per game as a sophomore and 416.4 yards his junior season. He  also ranked among the Top 10 nationally in pass efficiency both years.
• Before his two-year stint with the Cougars, Holgorsen was a member  of the coaching staff at Texas Tech from 2000-07, serving as the inside  receivers coach from 2000-04, before being elevated to co-offensive  coordinator in 2005 and offensive coordinator in 2006-07.  During his time in Lubbock, his offenses increased the amount of  yardage from 324.8 yards of total offense to 529.6, an increase of  more than 200 yards per game. The Red Raiders were No. 7 nationally  prior to Holgorsen becoming offensive coordinator and raised their  yardage total to No. 4 in 2005, his first season directing the offense.
• In  his two years as offensive coordinator, his squad was nationally ranked  No. 8 in 2006 and No. 3 in 2007.  In 2007, Texas Tech led the nation in passing (470.31), was No. 2  in total offense (529.62) and was No. 7 in scoring offense (40.9).  Quarterback Graham Harrell led the nation in total offense and  Biletnikoff Award winner Michael Crabtree led the nation in receptions  per game and receiving yards per game.  In 2006, the Red Raiders ranked No. 3 nationally in passing offense  and No. 6 in total offense. Harrell once again was outstanding, finishing  No. 3 nationally in total offense with 344.38 yards per game. Texas Tech  led the nation in passing in 2005, was No. 4 in scoring offense (39.4)  and No. 6 in total offense (495.83). Quarterback Cody Hodges was  No. 2 in the nation with 396.08 yards per game.
• Holgorsen also spent time at Valdosta State (1993-95) as the  quarterbacks, receivers and special teams coach, Mississippi College  (1996-98) as the quarterbacks, receivers and special teams coach  and at Wingate (1999) as the  quarterbacks and receivers coach.  While at Valdosta State in 1994,  Chris Hatcher won the Harlon Hill  Trophy, the NCAA Division II Player  of the Year award, by the second  largest vote margin in the 17-year  history of the award. Hatcher  won the award after throwing for  4,076 yards and 55 touchdowns,  against just 10 interceptions, while  completing 367 of 508 passes. Hatcher led Division II in passing  efficiency during the regular season  and directed VSU to its first Division II  post-season appearance.
