HOUSTON, Oct. 28, 2025 — University of Houston head football coach Willie Fritz has been named Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Week after the Cougars’ 24-16 win over No. 24/25 Arizona State in Tempe on Saturday night.
The win launched Houston into the top-25, as the Cougars are now ranked No. 22 in both the AP and AFCA polls.
The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, presents the Bear Bryant Awards annually to celebrate excellence in coaching, to honor Coach Bryant’s legacy and to raise awareness and critical funds for its mission. The coaching legend died from a heart attack in 1983, just 28 days after his final victory and retirement.
The Cougars scored the game’s first 24 points, holding the Sun Devils off the board until the 13:56 mark of the fourth quarter. Arizona State rallied furiously through the final quarter, but the Houston defense held firm at the end, forcing a turnover on downs with 1:52 to play to seal the win.
Houston’s win was its first ranked win on the road since 2017, and snapped Arizona State’s 10-game home winning streak.
Fritz is the first Big 12 coach to capture honors this season. He follows the selection last week of Louisville’s Jeff Brohm and previous selections of Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, UCLA’s Tim Skipper, Virginia’s Tony Elliott, Syracuse’s Fran Brown, Texas A&M’s Mike Elko, USF’s Alex Golesh and Florida State’s Mike Norvell.
Continuing through the remainder of the regular season, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards will recognize a coach weekly for leading their team to an exceptional victory. The National Coach of the Week award is chosen by a committee of national college football media members.
Fans can follow the lead up to January’s 40th annual Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards Ceremony at facebook.com/bryantawards, x.com/bryantawards or Instagram.com/bryantawards or the hashtag #BryantAwards. To attend the exclusive, VIP experience visit bryantawards.org.
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