Major Applewhite looks on during a press conference announcing Applewhite as the next University of Houston football head coach at TDECU Stadium Dec. 12, 2016, in Houston. ( James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle )James Nielsen/Staff
What you should know about UH coach Major Applewhite
Billy Smith II/Chronicle
Youth is served
The 38-year-old Applewhite is young for a college football head coach, but he’s not the youngest. Western Michigan’s P.J. Fleck is just 36. Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell are both 37.
Billy Smith II/Chronicle
He’ll be here a while … if he wins
After having three of its last four coaches leave for better jobs, UH is making sure Applewhite sticks around a while. UH board of regents chairman Tilman Fertitta said Friday, “We’re not going to have a contract in place for our new coach where it’s going to be easy for him to jump in two years, OK? If he wants to jump, someone better really want him bad. I think you can look forward to Major being here for many years, but he better win 9, 10, 11 games a year, too, from our standpoint. We did get rid of a coach that won eight games three years ago, don’t ever forget that. We expect to win at the University of Houston.”
Elizabeth Conley/Staff
Players and recruits are happy
Several UH players and recruits took to Twitter to express their happiness with the hire. Kyle Allen, who is expected to start at quarterback next year, tweeted “Great day to be a Coog!” The John Tyler football Twitter account also sent a message that the hire would finalize the UH commitment for highly touted Tyler quarterback Bryson Smith.
Thomas B. Shea
Controversy as a coach at Texas
Applewhite was named in a 2013 lawsuit former track and field coach Bev Kearney filed against the University of Texas after she resigned under pressure after being confronted about a relationship she had with one of her athletes. The lawsuit compared Kearney’s fate to that of Applewhite, who was engaged in “inappropriate, consensual behavior with an adult student” during a Longhorns’ trip to the Fiesta Bowl after the 2008 regular season, according to a release issued by Texas in 2013. The student was an athletic trainer for the football team. Applewhite released a statement after being named in the lawsuit and said it was a “one-time occurrence” of “behavior that was totally inappropriate.” He apologized and added: “Through counsel I have worked with my wife and the incident is behind us. I am regretful for my mistake and humbled by this experience.”
Cooper Neill/Contributor
Kind words from Tom Herman
Former University of Houston coach Tom Herman had nothing but positive things to say about his Cougars replacement. "I'm so excited and proud for Major that he has been named the head coach at Houston," Herman said. "We poured a lot of energy into that program together the past two years and Major will do a terrific job continuing to build on that. His goal has always been to have an opportunity to run his own program, he's ready for this next step and I'm just thrilled for Major, Julie and his family."
Eric Gay/STF
Worked under great coaches
In his 13 seasons as an assistant coach, Applewhite has worked for Mack Brown (Texas), Nick Saban (Alabama), Greg Robinson (Syracuse), Todd Graham (Rice) and Tom Herman (UH).
Billy Smith II/Chronicle
Plenty of Texas ties
Applewhite should be a hit on the recruiting trail since he’s made so many in-state contacts throughout his career. Eleven of his 13 seasons as a coach have been spent in Texas.
Harry Cabluck/STF
Mack Brown’s support
Former Texas coach Mack Brown was fired up about Applewhite’s new gig, saying “Major is the perfect hire for Houston.” He also said about Applewhite, “He’s got ‘it.’”
Harry Cabluck/AP
Lots of turnover
Applewhite will be UH’s seventh coach in the past 18 years (14th coach since the Cougars started playing football in 1946). No coach has lasted more than five years since Kim Helton coached from 1993-99.
Karen Warren/Staff
Briefly at Rice
Applewhite (center) was the offensive coordinator at Rice for one season. When he took the job in 2006, he was the youngest coordinator in the country at 28 years old. He took Rice from the wishbone and into a more modern, one-back offensive set. Rice went 7-6 and made a bowl game for the first time in 45 years in Applewhite's one season before he left to take the offensive coordinator's job at Alabama.
Nick de la Torre/HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Alabama woes
Some Alabama fans give Applewhite grief for his one season with the Crimson Tide, but it’s a bit unfair since that was Nick Saban’s first year at Alabama. The Crimson Tide went 7-6 in 2007, but the offense improved from 22.3 point per game the previous season to 26.8 and from 340 yards per game to 372 under Applewhite. Alabama started that season 6-2 but lost its final four regular season games – including a 21-14 upset at the hands of Louisiana-Monroe - and Applewhite was replaced by now-Florida head coach Jim McElwain.
Doug Benc/Getty Images
His namesake
Applewhite grew up an Alabama fan and was named after 1970s Crimson Tide running back Major Ogilvie.
Elizabeth Conley/Staff
Applewhite vs. Simms
Applewhite started most of his freshman and sophomore seasons at Texas but after an upset loss to Stanford his junior season, he was replaced by highly touted recruit Chris Simms. Applewhite eventually won the job back, but then suffered a knee injury and again was replaced by Simms. Heading into his senior season, Applewhite was supplanted again by Simms, this time before the season. Simms led Texas to a 10-1 record and just needed to beat Colorado in the Big 12 title game to earn a spot in the national championship game. Simms turned the ball over four times in the first half of the Colorado game before being replaced by Applewhite with Texas trailing 29-10. Applewhite rallied the Longhorns, but they eventually lost 39-37. In his final game, Applewhite threw for 473 yards and a led a comeback win over Washington in the Holiday Bowl.
Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Briefly a New England Patriot
Major Applewhite didn't get selected in the 2002 NFL Draft, but he signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent. Shortly before training camp, he decided to give up football so he could finish his degree and pursue a coaching career. He then took a job as a graduate assistant at Texas.
DENIS POROY/AP
Family
Applewhite and his wife Julie have two children - daughter Lila and son Nash.
Harry Cabluck/AP
The cost of leaving early could come with a steep price tag for new University of Houston football coach Major Applewhite.
In addition to owing the full remaining value of the contract, Applewhite would be on the hook for whatever remains on the contracts of his assistant coaching staff not retained by a new coach, according to a term sheet obtained by the Houston Chronicle.
Applewhite signed a five-year deal worth $7.5 million in December when he was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach.
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During the interview process, UH athletic director Hunter Yurachek and board of regents chairman Tilman Fertitta said a significant buyout would be included for a new coach in the wake of former coaches Art Briles (Baylor), Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M) and Tom Herman (Texas) abruptly leaving for Power Five jobs.
"I'm not going to have a coaching change again after next year or the year after that," Fertitta said during the interview process.
If UH were to fire Applewhite, the school would owe him the base salary ($650,000) for each year remaining on the contract.
But if Applewhite were to leave he would owe $1.5 million – which includes base salary and non-salary compensation – for every year left on the deal.
For instance, Applewhite's buyout if he leaves after the first season is $6 million.
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He would also owe at least an additional $620,000, which represents 50 percent of the remaining values of contracts for defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio (three-year deal worth $400,000 annually) and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson (two-year deal worth $440,000 annually) and any other remaining salary for assistants not retained by the new coach. Johnson and D'Onofrio are the only members of Applewhite's staff who have multiple-year deals.
Applewhite would owe $4.5 million (plus coaches buyouts) if he leaves after the second year, $3 million after the third season and $1.5 million after the fourth year.
As reported in December, the buyout increases 50 percent if Applewhite takes a job at a Texas school. So, conceivably, Applewhite would owe $9 million plus assistant buyouts if he were to leave after next season.
At the time of hiring, Yurachek said he wasn't worried about Applewhite, a first-time head coach, bolting for another job early in his contract.
"I'll be honest, I'm not worried about Major Applewhite leaving this program," Yurachek said. "I think he is fully committed to the long term."
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The contracts for Applewhite and D'Onofrio will go before the board of regents for approval Thursday.
Joseph Duarte covers University of Houston athletics and the Big 12 Conference for the Houston Chronicle. He can be reached at joseph.duarte@houstonchronicle.com.
A University of Texas at Austin graduate, Joseph joined the Houston Chronicle as part of an internship through the Sports Journalism Institute in 1995 and never left. He previously wrote about the Houston Astros from 1998-2002, Houston Texans from 2002-05 and the Texas Longhorns from 2005-09.
Joseph's work has been recognized nationally by the Associated Press Sports Editors and in 2022 he was named the Celeste Williams Star Sportswriter of the Year by the Texas Association of Managing Editors.
