Sports
 

UH coaches excite fans about the coming year

By Tony Hernandez
The Daily Cougar

The fifth annual Coaches' Road Tour, hosted by Cougar Pride, the Athletics Department's fund-raising arm, was held Monday evening at Los Tios Mexican restaurant in Sugar Land to boost support among a couple hundred UH alumni and supporters.

"It's gonna be a whole lot of fun being a Cougar, so you don't want to miss out on it," legendary football head coach Bill Yeoman said at the beginning of the event.

Among the UH coaches present were football head coach Art Briles, men's basketball head coach Tom Penders, women's basketball head coach Joe Curl and baseball head coach Rayner Noble. 

Feeling a little like a high school pep rally, the mood was cheery and the restaurant was packed, with many guests having to stand because of the unexpected large turnout to hear the coaches speak. A popular theme among each speech was the unity being developed among the entire UH coaching staff. The coaches shared the excitement for not just their own programs but their peers' programs as well.

"I'm getting fired up about football coming up right around the corner," said Noble. "I see those guys working out every day in the weight room, and they are getting after it. We are in for a real treat next year with Cougar football ... Just watch and see."

Noble went on to say that his team had a good season and that it is in the process of regrouping and reloading with a bunch of young players, similar to the situation in 2001 when there were nothing but freshmen on the field.

Curl is also looking to reload his team after losing senior Chandi Jones, who now plays in the WNBA for the Detroit Shock.

"We will have the best recruiting class in the state," Curl said during his talk. He mentioned a great prospect coming in from Alabama, although he said he wasn't at liberty to divulge any names. 

When Penders approached the crowd, he received a warm, loud Texas welcome.

"Everybody has been terrific to me," Penders said. 

He also talked about the five new recruits coming in from junior colleges -- Sergio de Randamie, Englebert Cherrington, Brian Latham, Rodney Hannah and Chris Lawson -- and the impact they've already had on the rest of the team. He was proud of the fact that the team has already bonded together on campus.

Briles, the final speaker, addressed the coming season. He said last year had been an exciting year, and the most critical thing for next season is for the team to be fresh and ready for September, as they will be playing four games in 19 days. Among them, three will be nationally televised (against The University of Miami, The University of Michigan and Southern Mississippi).

The Coaches Road Tour will have two more stops -- the next event will be at Skeeter's Mesquite Grill at 750 Gulfgate Mall on July 14, and the final stop will be at Skeeter's Mesquite Grill at 5529 Weslayan St. on Aug. 5.

Both events start at 5:30 p.m. and are free; the audience is welcome to stay after for a Q-and-A session with the coaches.

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