Willie Fritz has a track record of success as a winner. In order to uphold this tradition at Houston within the competitive Big 12 conference, he will need to devise a distinctive strategy for the Cougars.
Willie Fritz claims he doesn’t possess a secret formula for success despite generating considerable interest that ultimately led to his new position as head coach of the Houston Cougars.
He asserts that his accomplishments are not attributed to a single factor. Fritz mentioned at the Big 12 Media Days, “I’ve had good (assistant) coaches, good players, a solid plan, and we’ve executed that plan.”
Fritz achieved two national junior college championships in four seasons as head coach at Blinn Junior College, led Central Missouri to 11 winning seasons in 13 years, departing as the program’s all-time wins leader. Subsequently, he guided Sam Houston to consecutive Southland Conference championships and an appearance in the NCAA Division I Championship game. He also contributed to Georgia Southern achieving the distinction of becoming the first team in NCAA history to have an undefeated conference season in their first year as an FBS squad.
Fritz’s success continued at Tulane, a program that had languished for decades. He developed a prominent G5 team that finished ninth in the AP Poll in 2022. Highlights of the season included a Cotton Bowl victory over USC and the success of Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. Throughout his career, Fritz has led eight teams to 10 or more wins and ranks fifth nationally among active FBS coaches with 208 victories.
In his 31 seasons as a head coach, he has coached 73 players who were either NFL Draft picks or signed as free agents.
Fritz enjoys devising strategies and acknowledges that each coaching position demanded a fresh approach. What was effective at Blinn Junior College couldn’t be replicated at Sam Houston, and the successful methods at Tulane won’t necessarily lead Houston to the top of the Big 12. The roles are distinct, and so is his approach.
“The key is adapting to your environment,” Fritz explained. “What defines the university? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Each situation is unique. The head coach’s task is to maximize the strengths and address the weaknesses.”
Adapting to the job isn’t the only change Fritz has experienced in his four decades of coaching college football. He has also had to adjust to the evolving landscape within the sport, including the transfer portal and NIL. Fritz enjoys staying connected with former players. When he took over the Houston position, he invited some of his former athletes from Sam Houston and Blinn to attend a few practices in Third Ward this spring. Fritz admits that he’s much more positive with his current players than he was with his previous ones, and they are quick to remind him of that fact.
Fritz used to shout a lot during practices. To preserve his voice, the coach began using a bullhorn to communicate with players during practice sessions. If you visit the Houston campus for a practice, you’ll hear Fritz’s voice directing the practice with his bullhorn.
“I had some former players from my first coaching job at Blinn come to watch our practice, and they all jokingly said I’ve become soft,” Fritz quipped. “I had to remind them that if I treated the current players the way I treated you guys, I’d probably end up in jail.”
During the Big 12 media day, Fritz eagerly engaged with anyone who wanted to discuss Cougar football. He has been eagerly anticipating this opportunity for a long time, understanding that his coaching career has a finite lifespan, and while he has achieved success at every level except the “Power Four,” Fritz’s competitive nature remains unwavering. Sports and family are central to his life, and many of his family members are also involved in coaching.
Fritz’s inaugural media day took place in 1993 when he was the head coach of Blinn Junior College. The event was hosted in the library of Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas, with only three members of the media present to cover it. Although the sport has undergone considerable changes, Fritz argues that the essence of the game remains unchanged. While he acknowledges the necessity of devising a new strategy to guide Houston up the challenging Big 12 landscape, he maintains that the fundamental attributes required to win on Saturday afternoons have endured.
“It still boils down to the basics of blocking and tackling,” he remarked. “Teams that execute these fundamental skills better position themselves for victory, so we focus on them every single day.”
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