Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen looks to lead the Cougars to another upset win after his maiden Big 12 win over his former team West Virginia. While Houston is currently 3–3 so far this season, Holgorsen is no novice to the coaching scene.  

Holgorsen is in his fourth year coaching Houston after leading the Mountaineers for eight years.  Since his arrival, the Cougars have become the only team in the nation to boast a punt return touchdown and kickoff return touchdown in four consecutive seasons. 

The Houston coach started his coaching career at Texas Tech, where he served in multiple positions, including as an inside receivers coach from 2000 to 2004, co-offensive coordinator from 2005 to 2006 and offensive coordinator in 2007. His first time at Houston was as an offensive coordinator after leaving the Red Raiders. In his first year there, his offense was ranked No. 3 in the country, moving up to No. 1 in his second and final season before moving to Oklahoma State, where he spent one year.

When he arrived in Stillwater, the Oklahoma State total offense ranked No. 61 in the country. In his first and only year, he moved total offense to the No. 1 spot.

Holgorsen’s first head coach gig was at West Virginia, where he stayed for seven years. He led the Mountaineers to a Liberty Bowl win in 2014, his third bowl in four seasons with the team. Ultimately, Holgorsen resigned and moved back to Houston in 2019.

Holgorsen is responsible for Houston’s third highest total victories in a two-year span, with 20 wins, including two back-to-back bowl victories.

And it’s no secret that the experienced coach knows how to bring an offensive line to the best of its game. 

“I think one thing I’ve been impressed with Coach Holgorsen’s team and how they’ve improved throughout the year,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told On3. “Obviously, (they) had a great game on Thursday night, a very exciting game which we had a chance to watch.”

In the team’s last matchup against West Virginia, Holgorsen’s wide receiver Stephon Johnson scored a Hail Mary, 49-yard touchdown to give Houston a last minute win.

Holgorsen hasn’t played Texas since 2018, and never with his current team. At West Virginia, Holgorsen beat Texas 42-41 in Austin, having a total of four wins against the Longhorns.

“They’re in a different place now than when I went there in 2018 — the last time I competed against these guys,” Holgorsen told 247Sports. “We came out of there with a win that day, but where they’re at now is different. I hope our fans enjoy being able to compete against these guys for a year. The vibe’s going to be good. Everybody needs to enjoy it, but it’s going to be a challenge.”