The program announced Monday morning that Levine “has been relieved of his duties” following his third season leading the program. The Cougars went 7-5 this season, but athletic director Mack Rhoades decided to go in a different direction.
“Coach Levine and I met several times throughout the season, and again late last night, to discuss the state of the program. Last night I informed him we will be moving in a different direction with our football program,” Rhoades said in a statement. “Coach Levine is an outstanding leader and over the last three years he has demonstrated great commitment to our student-athletes and has been an outstanding role model for our young men. He has left the program in a better situation than it was when he inherited it.”
Levine joined Houston as special teams coordinator under Kevin Sumlin in 2008. When Sumlin left to take the head coaching job at Texas A&M in 2011, Levine served as interim coach for the Cougars in a Ticket City Bowl win over Penn State.
Levine’s interim tag was lifted and he took over as head coach for the 2012 season. In his first year, the Cougars went 5-7 in their final year in Conference USA. The program then made the transition to the American Athletic Conference in 2013. The Cougars went 8-5 that season, ending with a 41-24 loss to Vanderbilt in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
Things didn’t improve much in 2014 with a 7-5 record, so Rhoades decided to make a change. Defensive coordinator David Gibbs will serve as the team’s interim head coach when the Cougars play Pittsburgh in the Armed Forces Bowl on Jan. 2.
“Although we are excited to play in our second straight bowl game, the expectations of our program have changed over the last five years with the opening of TDECU Stadium and the current college football landscape,” Rhoades said.
Overall, Levine went 21-17 with a 14-10 conference record.
Rhoades said a search for the program’s next coach is already underway and a television reporter in Houston tweeted Sunday night that Washington State head coach Mike Leach has interest in the vacancy at UH.
Less than an hour later, Washington State, via its official athletics Twitter account, shot down the report.
TWEET
For more Houston news, visit CougarsDen.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Houston fires head coach Tony Levine
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