
Oscar Herrera/The Cougar
Houston athletics experienced significant highs and lows in 2024 as the program navigated the demands of competing in the Big 12. Throughout the year, individuals and teams made history across every sport.
Here’s a look back at the biggest moments of 2024:
January
The Cougars celebrated the new year by securing their first Big 12 victories in men’s and women’s basketball on their home court. The men’s team secured an 89-55 win over West Virginia on Jan. 6, while the women’s team followed suit with a 79-69 victory over BYU on Jan. 10.
Men’s golfer Santiago De La Fuente won the Latin American Amateur Championship in late January, earning exemptions to compete in the U.S. Open Championship and The Open Championship and receiving an invitation to play in The Masters in 2024.
February
February produced a new Big 12 rivalry as Houston faced off against Kansas in men’s basketball for the first time as conference foes. The Cougars suffered a loss in Lawrence, but little did they know, redemption was on the horizon.
March

The Cougars advance to the Sweet 16 after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies in the Round of 32. | Anh Le/The Cougar
Men’s basketball headlined March as the team advanced to its fifth consecutive Sweet 16 after defeating Texas A&M 100-95 in overtime. Injuries halted the team’s run as Houston fell to Duke 54-51.
Earlier in the month, UH secured its first Big 12 regular season title with a 76-46 win over Kansas.
The team entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed for the second straight season and finished with a 32-5 record.
Jamal Shead made history, becoming the first player in Big 12 history to be named player of the year and defensive player of the year in the same season, while coach Kelvin Sampson earned coach of the Year honors.
In the pool, swim and dive took second in its first-ever Big 12 Championships.
On the diamonds, baseball and softball secured their first Big 12 wins with baseball taking a 4-3 win over Baylor and softball defeating No. 1 Texas 12-10.
April
Awards and honors were showered on Cougars in April. Shead earned the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year award, one of five national awards earned by the point guard, who also took home the Nolan Richardson Award and defensive player of the year honors from Andy Katz, Field of 68 and NABC.
Sampson was also recognized nationally, earning the honor of AP Coach of the Year. He became only the 10th leader to claim the honor twice and the fourth to do so with separate schools.
The Cougars landed Milos Uzan, a point guard from Oklahoma in the transfer portal in preparation for a redemption season in which they returned four of five starters.
On the football front, the Miami Dolphins drafted offensive tackle Patrick Paul with the 55th overall pick in the NFL draft, the highest position for an offensive player since 2008 and the highest-drafted Houston offensive lineman since 1995.
Both the men’s and women’s golf teams appeared in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Later in the month, De La Fuente, the Big 12 Player of the Year, made his major championship debut, tying for 77th with a two-day score of 154 in The Masters.
May
The Cougars raced to the finish as Houston track and field brought home five conference titles. Shaun Maswangayi earned high-point finisher for his first-place finishes in three events for 22.5 points. He was later named men’s performer of the year as he qualified for the NCAA championships alongside 12 other UH athletes.
Katarina Adamovic was hired as the 11th Houston tennis coach after Houston went 0-13 in conference play during the 2024 spring season.
June
June marked a month of milestones and major changes for Houston athletics.
Louie Hinchliffe ran a 9.95 to win the 100-meter dash NCAA national championship. He became the seventh Cougar to win the title, the first since 2018. The 4×4 relay team of Ireon Brown, Hinchliffe, Broadnax, and Maswanganyi earned third, while the women’s track team had their best finish since 2007 behind two fifth-place finishes.
Later in the month, the Toronto Raptors drafted Houston men’s basketball star, Shead with the No. 45 pick in the second round of the NBA draft. Shead became the fourth Cougar drafted in the last four years.
The first year in the Big 12 concluded with Houston Athletics firing Chris Pezman after seven seasons at UH.
July
July brought new beginnings and global achievements.
Houston football reported to preseason practice for the first time with coach Willie Fritz at the helm.
Across the globe at the Paris 2024 Olympics, swimmers Elizabeth Jimenez and Alondra Ortiz represented the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.
August
As summer came to a close Shaun Maswanganyi and Louie Hinchliffe took home silver and bronze in the men’s 4×100-meter relay at The Paris Olympics. They became the first Cougars to medal since 2016 and the first pair to medal in the same Olympic Games since 2008.
Back in Houston, Eddie Nunez was named the Cougars’ new athletic director just weeks ahead of Fritz’s opening game with UH.
September
September was a month of highs and lows.
On the soccer field, Juliet Moore recorded three goals for the first hat trick for a Houston athlete since 2016 during Houston’s 3-2 win over Texas State.
After football reclaimed the Bayou Bucket with a win against Rice on their home turf on the 14th, Cincinnati and Iowa State held Houston scoreless to begin Big 12 play. This marked the first time Houston failed to put points on the board in back-to-back weeks since 1994.
It was the tenth anniversary of TDECU stadium and the Cougars announced a name change to Space City Financial for 2025.
On the golf course, the women’s Cougars won the Schooner Fall Classic for their second-team championship under coach Lydia Lasprilla.
October

The Cougars celebrate defeating Utah with a game-winning field goal. | Gillian Wisniewski/The Cougar
October brought much-needed treats for Houston football after the haunts of September.
Houston’s kicker Jack Martin drilled a game-winning field goal through the uprights on homecoming, securing a 17-14 victory over Utah.
November
November was filled with action.
Houston football beat then-No. 17 Kansas State 24-19, marking its first win against a ranked opponent since 2021. The win secured the Cougars’ first and only win streak of the season, but it would also be its last victory, as they went on to lose their final three games and miss bowl eligibility for the second straight season.
Houston Blue made its debut for football’s senior night, and earlier in the month, volleyball players wore a blue colorway on the court.
Kate Georgiades wrapped up the month by reaching 2,500 digs, a feat achieved by only 26 other NCAA Division I athletes. The Columbus Fury later drafted her with the fourth pick of the fifth round in the 2024 Pro Volleyball Federation Draft.
Houston basketball completed the No. 1 signing class in the nation according to On3, which consists of center Chris Cenac Jr., point guard Kingston Flemings and shooting guard Isiah Harwell.
On the court, J’Wan Roberts surpassed Jamal Shead to become the winningest player in Fertitta Center History during the 100th contest in the venue.
December
December set the stage for 2025 football, as Houston signed 15 transfers including former Texas A&M quarterback Connor Weigman and five offensive linemen.
Austin Armstrong was hired as the defensive coordinator, while Slade Nagle was hired to coach the offense.
A year after his arrival at UH, Fritz got to make his mark with a 19-member signing class ranked No. 48 nationally by 247Sports composite rankings, the best for Houston in nine years.
Some programs carry momentum into 2025, building on the successes of the past year, while others aim to redefine their future with fresh talent and leadership.