The Houston Cougars fired offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay following Saturday's 20-10 loss to the Baylor Bears. The decision comes with the Cougars ranking last in the nation in scoring and near the bottom in total offensive. "We just didn't have the success that we wanted to have," head coach Willie Fritz said. "Unfortunately, it's part of the job that you have to do time-to-time." Quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Shawn Bell will be the interim play-caller as the Cougars look for next season's replacement. "We're going to have a nationwide search," Fritz said. "I want a guy that can play complimentary football." The Cougars' offensive struggles were amplified against Baylor as quarterback Zeon Chriss finished 13 of 24 for 126 yards passing and threw three interceptions while the run game yielded 92 yards. The Cougars will not reach bowl eligibility for the second consecutive year and will wrap up their season Saturday at No. 19 BYU.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It'll be the final game of the twenty twenty four
season for coach Willie Fritz, and he has brought to
you today as he is every week, by the Joint Chiropractor,
the official chiropractor of the Houston Cougars.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Coach.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Needless to say, probably a tough day for you with
the decision to make a move with your offensive coordinator
spot take us through what it's been like the last
couple of days and the decision ultimately to make a
change for this week's game.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Well, Kevin's a bar Bays, a fantastic person, and we just,
you know, just didn't have the success we wanted to
have this year offensively, and you know, I tried to
wait as long as I can, and I was just hoping
that we could, you have some success, and just was tough.
And you know, when it you know, it's coaching, it's playing,
(00:46):
it's everything execution, and you know, but I wanted to
get out in front of this a little bit earlier.
There's a cycle involved with hiring coaches. It's kind of
right now, so I just needed to do it now.
And UH talked to the team early this morning and
(01:06):
and UH then released a little statement and and uh,
you know, Sean Bell is going to be our interim
offensive coordinator, and you had a good, lively practice this morning,
and you know, we want to go up and play
great in provo Saturday nights. So but unfortunately, as part
of the job that you got to got to do
from time to time.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
It is a tough from a timing standpoint because obviously
you want to find the next list of candidates. You
almost feel like listening to what you're telling us is
that you kind of had to do it now just
so you can get out in front of it. Is
that is that fair to say.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, a little bit. You know, it's uh, you know,
we just hadn't had had had much success here, particularly
recently offensively, and you know, and you wanted to you know,
I had all sorts of and I came back in
from practice and had about thirty text messages. You know,
so you know, now that people know it's open, you
(02:03):
see who's out there and who's available. You know, I
told our kids, Hey, we're going to have a nationwide search.
We're going to find the very best person to help
put us in position to be big Big twelve champions.
And you know that's what I got to do as
head coach, and I got to find the right guy
in the more time you have, obviously, the easier that is.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
For you, obviously, coach, when you look down the road
for the future, and that's what we're looking forward to, obviously,
seeing what you do and who you make on the
higher it has to be about the coach that fits
the players and vice versa. So, if I gave you
a dream scenario, obviously you want a team that scores
a lot and gets in the end zone a bunch
and is exciting. But what kind of things characteristics do
(02:46):
you want from a guy that's going to ultimately be
your play caller.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Well, Number one, you want a good person. You know,
it's very important to me. Guys going to be a
good role model mentor our student athletes. I want a
guy that can play complimentary football. You know, sometimes get
offenses coordinators and just trying to score as many points
they can and don't worry about field position or turnovers
or you know, time of possession and ends up hurting
(03:11):
your your defense and your kicking game, and then play
field position or score the game, all those different kinds
of things. So, and I do believe we want to
be a fifty to fifty team. You know, we want
to be able to you know, run the ball seventy
play game, you know, thirty five times run and thirty
five times pass, and you know, we weren't able to
(03:33):
get to that point. And uh, and then we got
to go out and do a great job recruit. That's
another part of it with getting the guy in here
is don't you know, helping uh, you know, to see
what he you know, needs and looks for and you know,
different position groups and uh, we've got some good guys
coming back offensively, but we've got some positions that we need.
(03:57):
We need some help and to be able to play
with the same kind of guys everybody else is playing
with in the Big twelve. So it's going to be
important for us to get a guy in here and
not help us with the freshman class. We've already got
that figured out, and help us with the guys in
any additions that we might make from the portal.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Let's start thinking about this BYU team. They're frankly shell
shock the way they performed themselves the last couple of weeks.
They still have a chance at this Big twelve championship.
I think a lot of things have to obviously line up,
But tech me through what you've seen so far from
them this year. And I'm not saying anything's vulnerable because
(04:38):
obviously they're in a bad mood, but they have been
a doc football team. The last two weeks.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Well, they've had a great year. Other than the last
couple of weeks, haven't had the outcome that they wanted,
almost did last week. But you know, it's a team
that was projected pretty low in the Big twelve prior
to the season, and it has done a great job.
I think when their first nine Paul games, Uh, you know,
offensively what you think you know, big offensive line, you know,
(05:08):
they're they're gonna be the most mature team we play.
I think they average twenty three, twenty four years of age,
someplace in that vicinity. We're excellent quarterback, uh, you know,
big tall receivers, big strong running game. Defensively, you know,
play a lot of man coverage, which is you know,
(05:30):
I don't know if they've always done that or not,
but they're playing a bunch of man coverage this year
and just really well coached club. I got a lot
of respect for their head coach. He does it the
right way, and and they play extremely hard. So we're
gonna have to come in there and in a hostile
environment and uh, playing in the evening, and you know,
(05:50):
playing on national TV, and we're gonna have to play great.
We know that. I've said that every week. You know,
in order for us to have the success we want
to have, we've got to play well and all three
and we're certainly gonna have to do that on Saturday night.
All right.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
We have had our share of games that are temperatures
in the mid nineties. This week's game could be a
temperature is in the twenties, twenty five to thirty degree range.
Your equipment to stat probably gonna have to put some
extra time in this week of loading up the plane.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, they're gonna have to do that. It's h you know,
I think it would be fun. I'll kind of kind
of challenge everybody. I'm playing a bunch of cold games,
but may not have as many guys that have done
that before, so we'll, you know, get get out there
and once you get out there playing and coaching, you know,
you really don't notice it much. So that'll be a
(06:42):
great challenge for us. We're looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Last question for you, coach, let's do this a season
recap here and obviously so one Lenk game left to go,
give me the high water mark of the year, and
then take us through what your next few weeks will
be beyond the fact of recruiting and obviously trying to
fill a coaching position. What what other forms of evaluation
will you be doing once the dust settles of this
(07:06):
season is over.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Well, you know, you hit all the two main ones,
you know, hiring offeneve coordinator, and then also, uh, you know,
I'm sure there'll be some guys that will add to
a roster via the portal. We've got National signing Day
a week from tomorrow, I think December fourth, Uh, for
high school guys, We're gonna sign a great high school class.
(07:30):
We're really excited about that. And and uh, you know
that will be and then we'll have a recap. You know,
we'll visit with all our players and uh, you know,
talk to them about things they did well, things they
need to prove on all, visit with all the coaches,
also give my observations, you know, sum up the season.
(07:50):
So there's a lot of stuff to do. And then
you know, take a little bit of time off at
the end of December, and uh, you know, jump back
into and the kids returning January.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
And I'm assuming getting ready to move in that football facility,
and I do this in future too.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Correct dead July, we should be getting in there. I
took a walk through on it a couple of weeks ago,
and it is going to be spectacular. We'll have facilities
on par with anybody in the state of Texas. So
that's another added bonus to being here at the University
of Houston.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Coach, we appreciate our weekly visits. I know the better
times are ahead. Thanks again for your honest assessment of
what's going on, and we look forward to surprises and
folks in Provo this weekend and we will see you
in Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Do the same to you all, go cous Thank you
very much.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Willie Fritz joining us here on sports Talk, said Honey again.
A decision made by coach to relieve offensive coordinator Kevin
Barbae of his duties, Sean Bell will be the Who's
the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator will be calling
plays this week
It'll be the final game of the twenty twenty four
season for coach Willie Fritz, and he has brought to
you today as he is every week, by the Joint Chiropractor,
the official chiropractor of the Houston Cougars.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Coach.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Needless to say, probably a tough day for you with
the decision to make a move with your offensive coordinator
spot take us through what it's been like the last
couple of days and the decision ultimately to make a
change for this week's game.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Well, Kevin's a bar Bays, a fantastic person, and we just,
you know, just didn't have the success we wanted to
have this year offensively, and you know, I tried to
wait as long as I can, and I was just hoping
that we could, you have some success, and just was tough.
And you know, when it you know, it's coaching, it's playing,
(00:46):
it's everything execution, and you know, but I wanted to
get out in front of this a little bit earlier.
There's a cycle involved with hiring coaches. It's kind of
right now, so I just needed to do it now.
And UH talked to the team early this morning and
(01:06):
and UH then released a little statement and and uh,
you know, Sean Bell is going to be our interim
offensive coordinator, and you had a good, lively practice this morning,
and you know, we want to go up and play
great in provo Saturday nights. So but unfortunately, as part
of the job that you got to got to do
from time to time.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
It is a tough from a timing standpoint because obviously
you want to find the next list of candidates. You
almost feel like listening to what you're telling us is
that you kind of had to do it now just
so you can get out in front of it. Is
that is that fair to say.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, a little bit. You know, it's uh, you know,
we just hadn't had had had much success here, particularly
recently offensively, and you know, and you wanted to you know,
I had all sorts of and I came back in
from practice and had about thirty text messages. You know,
so you know, now that people know it's open, you
(02:03):
see who's out there and who's available. You know, I
told our kids, Hey, we're going to have a nationwide search.
We're going to find the very best person to help
put us in position to be big Big twelve champions.
And you know that's what I got to do as
head coach, and I got to find the right guy
in the more time you have, obviously, the easier that is.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
For you, obviously, coach, when you look down the road
for the future, and that's what we're looking forward to, obviously,
seeing what you do and who you make on the
higher it has to be about the coach that fits
the players and vice versa. So, if I gave you
a dream scenario, obviously you want a team that scores
a lot and gets in the end zone a bunch
and is exciting. But what kind of things characteristics do
(02:46):
you want from a guy that's going to ultimately be
your play caller.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Well, Number one, you want a good person. You know,
it's very important to me. Guys going to be a
good role model mentor our student athletes. I want a
guy that can play complimentary football. You know, sometimes get
offenses coordinators and just trying to score as many points
they can and don't worry about field position or turnovers
or you know, time of possession and ends up hurting
(03:11):
your your defense and your kicking game, and then play
field position or score the game, all those different kinds
of things. So, and I do believe we want to
be a fifty to fifty team. You know, we want
to be able to you know, run the ball seventy
play game, you know, thirty five times run and thirty
five times pass, and you know, we weren't able to
(03:33):
get to that point. And uh, and then we got
to go out and do a great job recruit. That's
another part of it with getting the guy in here
is don't you know, helping uh, you know, to see
what he you know, needs and looks for and you know,
different position groups and uh, we've got some good guys
coming back offensively, but we've got some positions that we need.
(03:57):
We need some help and to be able to play
with the same kind of guys everybody else is playing
with in the Big twelve. So it's going to be
important for us to get a guy in here and
not help us with the freshman class. We've already got
that figured out, and help us with the guys in
any additions that we might make from the portal.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Let's start thinking about this BYU team. They're frankly shell
shock the way they performed themselves the last couple of weeks.
They still have a chance at this Big twelve championship.
I think a lot of things have to obviously line up,
But tech me through what you've seen so far from
them this year. And I'm not saying anything's vulnerable because
(04:38):
obviously they're in a bad mood, but they have been
a doc football team. The last two weeks.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Well, they've had a great year. Other than the last
couple of weeks, haven't had the outcome that they wanted,
almost did last week. But you know, it's a team
that was projected pretty low in the Big twelve prior
to the season, and it has done a great job.
I think when their first nine Paul games, Uh, you know,
offensively what you think you know, big offensive line, you know,
(05:08):
they're they're gonna be the most mature team we play.
I think they average twenty three, twenty four years of age,
someplace in that vicinity. We're excellent quarterback, uh, you know,
big tall receivers, big strong running game. Defensively, you know,
play a lot of man coverage, which is you know,
(05:30):
I don't know if they've always done that or not,
but they're playing a bunch of man coverage this year
and just really well coached club. I got a lot
of respect for their head coach. He does it the
right way, and and they play extremely hard. So we're
gonna have to come in there and in a hostile
environment and uh, playing in the evening, and you know,
(05:50):
playing on national TV, and we're gonna have to play great.
We know that. I've said that every week. You know,
in order for us to have the success we want
to have, we've got to play well and all three
and we're certainly gonna have to do that on Saturday night.
All right.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
We have had our share of games that are temperatures
in the mid nineties. This week's game could be a
temperature is in the twenties, twenty five to thirty degree range.
Your equipment to stat probably gonna have to put some
extra time in this week of loading up the plane.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, they're gonna have to do that. It's h you know,
I think it would be fun. I'll kind of kind
of challenge everybody. I'm playing a bunch of cold games,
but may not have as many guys that have done
that before, so we'll, you know, get get out there
and once you get out there playing and coaching, you know,
you really don't notice it much. So that'll be a
(06:42):
great challenge for us. We're looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Last question for you, coach, let's do this a season
recap here and obviously so one Lenk game left to go,
give me the high water mark of the year, and
then take us through what your next few weeks will
be beyond the fact of recruiting and obviously trying to
fill a coaching position. What what other forms of evaluation
will you be doing once the dust settles of this
(07:06):
season is over.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Well, you know, you hit all the two main ones,
you know, hiring offeneve coordinator, and then also, uh, you know,
I'm sure there'll be some guys that will add to
a roster via the portal. We've got National signing Day
a week from tomorrow, I think December fourth, Uh, for
high school guys, We're gonna sign a great high school class.
(07:30):
We're really excited about that. And and uh, you know
that will be and then we'll have a recap. You know,
we'll visit with all our players and uh, you know,
talk to them about things they did well, things they
need to prove on all, visit with all the coaches,
also give my observations, you know, sum up the season.
(07:50):
So there's a lot of stuff to do. And then
you know, take a little bit of time off at
the end of December, and uh, you know, jump back
into and the kids returning January.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
And I'm assuming getting ready to move in that football facility,
and I do this in future too.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Correct dead July, we should be getting in there. I
took a walk through on it a couple of weeks ago,
and it is going to be spectacular. We'll have facilities
on par with anybody in the state of Texas. So
that's another added bonus to being here at the University
of Houston.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Coach, we appreciate our weekly visits. I know the better
times are ahead. Thanks again for your honest assessment of
what's going on, and we look forward to surprises and
folks in Provo this weekend and we will see you
in Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Do the same to you all, go cous Thank you
very much.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Willie Fritz joining us here on sports Talk, said Honey again.
A decision made by coach to relieve offensive coordinator Kevin
Barbae of his duties, Sean Bell will be the Who's
the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator will be calling
plays this week
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