Getty The Dana Holgorsen era begins at Houston.
Dana Holgorsen left West Virginia over the offseason and signed a new five-year, $20 million contract with Houston. Holgorsen’s salary for 2019 is $3.7 million which is $1.1 million higher than any other Group of Five head coach, per USA Today.
Holgorsen’s move was initially surprising given West Virginia plays in a bigger conference (Big 12) with a clearer path to the College Football Playoff. After digging deeper into Holgorsen’s decision, it makes a lot more sense.
Holgorsen seemed to have plateaued at West Virginia and there were questions as to whether the Mountaineers would look in a different direction soon. Houston provides Holgorsen with ultimate job security, competitive pay and the ability to recruit in the football-rich state of Texas.
The University of Houston clearly believes in their new coach. Holgorsen is making more than double what previous Houston coach Major Applewhite’s $1.75 million salary would have been this season, per USA Today.
Holgorsen Signed a 5-Year, $18.6 Million Contract With West Virginia in 2016
Back in 2016, Holgorsen signed a five-year, $18.6 million contract extension with West Virginia that was slated to expire in 2021, per Newsday. Holgorsen made $3.6 million as West Virginia coach in 2018, per USA Today.
Holgorsen coached eight seasons at West Virginia and went 61-41 during his tenure. Holgorsen had two 10-win seasons in 2011 and 2016.
Holgorsen Noted That “Houston Is Home”
Holgorsen was open about his departure from West Virginia. The new Houston head coach explained to ESPN why it was time to move on from West Virginia.
“I left [West Virginia] for a whole bunch of different reasons,” Holgorsen told ESPN. “Houston is home, the University of Houston is a great place, it’s got tons of potential and we’re going to make it as great as we can possibly make it, but the other side of it is I could never beat Oklahoma. That’s the only school in the Big 12 where we could never get over that hump. We lost 59-56 this year, and I’m like, ‘I’m outta here.'”
For his fellow coaches, Holgorsen’s move to Houston seems less surprising. TCU head coach Gary Patterson believes Houston fits Holgorsen better than West Virginia.
“Dana came back to Houston because he loves the place and understands the potential of the city and the university,” Patterson noted to ESPN. “I always tell people, when you take a job, you don’t worry about money or title, you worry about fit. And to be honest with you, Houston probably fits Dana better than West Virginia did.”
It will be interesting to see if Holgorsen can have the kind of success at Houston that he would like. The Cougars are not far removed from being a power as former head coach Tom Herman had success at Houston.
The difference is Herman used Houston as a stepping stone to his dream job at Texas. Holgorsen has already had Power Five jobs and deliberately left West Virginia to come to Houston. If Holgorsen can bring Houston back to prominence, the program is set up for sustained success.