Tech coordinator Holgorsen leaves for U. of Houston
February 4, 2008
The Texas Tech football team now must find another coordinator.
Tech offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen will leave the team to assume the offensive coordinator position at Houston.
Holgorsen will leave the Red Raiders for a chance at more control over the Houston offense.
The 2007 season was the first year Holgorsen had full time duties running the Tech offense. Previously, he coached inside receivers and served as co-coordinator in 2005 and 2006 with Sonny Dykes, but became coordinator after Dykes left for the same position at Arizona.
The 2007 season for Holgorsen's offense featured Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree as one of the top quarterback-receiver combinations in the nation.
Crabtree led the NCAA in 2007 in several categories including his 22 touchdown receptions and his 1,962 receiving yards on 134 catches. Harrell is the latest in a long line of quarterbacks at Tech to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a season, but he also completed nearly 72 percent of his passes.
Holgorsen, who came to Tech with coach Mike Leach in 2000, coached many offensive players in his eight years at Tech.
One of the most-known players to come through the system during Holgorsen's tenure is current New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker, who caught 21 touchdown passes over his four-year career as a Red Raider.
Other players include Robert Johnson, who made the switch from quarterback to receiver under Holgorsen.
Holgorsen coached Nehemiah Glover, Mickey Peters and Trey Haverty. Glover and Peters both had more than 2,000 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns at Tech. Haverty was a third-team All-American in 2004.
Holgorsen and Leach coached together from 1993-95 at Valdosta State. At this time Leach was the offensive coordinator while Holgorsen simultaneously coached quarterbacks, receivers and special teams.
Leach's and Holgorsen's relationship goes back even further, with Holgorsen playing wide receiver in Leach's offense at Iowa Wesleyan from 1990 to 1992.
There was no official response from either Houston or Tech on Holgorsen's hire as of press time.
