It’s not always easy running a successful college football program in a pro football city. But the Houston Cougars have found a way to make it work. In the football-crazy state of Texas, cheap Houston football tickets have proven hard to come by in recent years. The Cougars have a proud tradition and have recently become one of the top programs in the country outside the power conferences, making last-minute Houston football tickets a hot commodity for fans in the Lone Star State.

Those Were the Days

That proud history of Houston football dates back to the 1950s when they were a powerhouse in the Missouri Valley Conference. In the 1960s, Hall of Fame coach Bill Yeoman took over the program, turning the Cougars into a successful independent program before becoming a force as soon as Houston joined the Southwest Conference in 1976. Yeoman led the Cougars to five conference titles in Houston’s first nine seasons in the league.

USA, USA

After Yeoman’s quarter-century in charge, the Cougars fell on some hard times, going to just one bowl game from 1985 to 1995. After the breakup of the Southwest Conference, Houston ended up in Conference-USA, and the dark days continued. However, head coaches: Art Briles and Kevin Sumlin brought Houston back to prominence early in the 21st century. The Cougars eventually won four conference titles in six years before making the move to the American Athletic Conference in 2013.

From Herman to Holgorsen

In 2015, Tom Herman took over as Houston’s head coach, leading the Cougars to a 13-1 season, including a Peach Bowl win that put them in the top-10 at season’s end. While Herman only stayed at Houston for two seasons, he lay the foundation for future success under Dana Holgorsen, who took over the program in 2019 and has the pedigree to lead the Cougars to big things in the future.