Houston football fired offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, the school announced on Tuesday. Quarterbacks coach and passing coordinator Shawn Bell will serve as interim offensive coordinator during Saturday’s contest at BYU.
“As we continue to assess every aspect of our program, it is clear we have not met our offensive standards,” coach Willie Fritz said in a statement. “Our focus is on finishing the season strong Saturday against BYU.”
Houston currently ranks last in FBS in scoring offensive at 13.6 points per game, red zone offense at 57.1 % and total touchdowns with a lone 18.
The move comes after the Cougars (4-7) failed to score an offensive touchdown in their 20-10 loss to Baylor last week, which clinched a losing record and eliminated them from bowl consideration.
That was the fourth game this season the Cougar offense did not score a touchdown, with back-to-back shutouts coming against Cincinnati and Iowa State in September.
Houston’s season featured a switch at quarterback. They began the season with senior Donovan Smith before benching him in favor of sophomore Zeon Chriss, a transfer from Lousianna.
Still, the Cougars have not been able to gain any momentum. After beating No. 17 Kansas State, they suffered back-to-back losses against Arizona and Baylor over the past two weeks.
Barbay joined the coaching staff in January after serving as Mississippi State’s offensive coordinator in 2023.
He is owed $750,000 for the final year of his contract. UH announced that a nationwide search for his replacement would commence immediately.
