MORGANTOWN — Dana Holgorsen is back in the Big 12 and he couldn’t be happier.
“We’re personally excited to be back, this is a special deal,” Holgorsen said at Big 12 media day Wednesday. “I’ve been a part of the Big 12 conference for 17 years.”
Holgorsen has been the head coach at the University of Houston for the last four years following eight seasons at WVU.
“The last four years have been a little different for me being in the American Conference and it really makes you appreciate a conference like the Big 12,” Holgorsen said. “It’s exciting to be the new guy again.”
Holgorsen helped WVU transition into the league following his first season as head coach in 2011. He coached the Mountaineers for seven seasons in the Big 12 before leaving for Houston after the 2018 season.
“I think with the experience I’ve had in the Big 12 and doing this transition in the past, I think it’s been helpful over the last 18 months,” Holgorsen said. “A lot of closed-door meetings with administrators and fundraising and all that stuff, I think it’s been very beneficial. It kind of stops now.”
Holgorsen said Houston joining the league will be different from WVU’s arrival because the Cougars have a prior history with several members, something the Mountaineers had none of.
“I think those rivalries are going to take care of themselves,” Holgorsen said. “It’s kind of the opposite of what I did back in 2011 when West Virginia came into the Big 12. It was a big day for West Virginia, but there were no prior relationships with anybody, everybody that West Virginia was playing was new.”
In addition to geographic proximity being in Texas, Houston was also previously in the Southwest Conference with current Big 12 members Texas Tech, TCU, Texas and Baylor.
“This has been a dream come true for a lot of Cougars for a long time,” Holgorsen said. “We’re excited about being in the Big 12 not only for this year but for years to come.”
Holgorsen amassed a 61-41 record at WVU and made seven bowl games, winning two. In four seasons with the Cougars, he has a 27-20 record with three bowl appearances and two wins.
Houston played two Big 12 teams in non-conference games last season, Texas Tech and Kansas, and despite losing both, Holgorsen said he’s using those games to try and prepare his players for what the jump in competition will be like.
“I was very careful with talking too much Big 12 prior to January,” he said. “Since January, yeah I’ve talked about it because that’s the way it’s going to be. It’s going to be like that every week.”
Houston went 8-5 last season and won the Independence Bowl over Louisiana. The Cougars were picked 12th in the Big 12 preseason poll, ahead of Cincinnati and WVU.
“Being a part of it for 17 years and then being on the outside looking in for four years, I watched every game,” Holgorsen said. “There’s just so much parity in this league. There used to be a few layups back in the day, there aren’t any layups.”
Houston’s first-ever Big 12 conference game will be on Sept. 16 against TCU. The Cougars’ first home Big 12 game will be against Holgorsen’s old employer when WVU comes to town on Oct. 12.
Holgorsen was the second of seven head coaches who held a press conference on the first day of Big 12 media days Wednesday. WVU coach Neal Brown is scheduled to speak Thursday at noon EDT. Big 12 media days is being broadcast on ESPNU and Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
TWEET @CodyNespor
