HOUSTON — The Houston Cougars have made a significant coaching change, firing offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay due to disappointing offensive performance this season. Coach Willie Fritz made the announcement on Tuesday, noting that the team’s struggles have placed them at the bottom of the national ranks in scoring and near the bottom for total offense.

In the wake of Barbay’s departure, quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Shawn Bell will step in to manage play-calling on an interim basis. “We appreciate Kevin’s hard work and the contributions he made to our football program this season,” Fritz remarked. “As we evaluate different elements of our performance, it has become evident that we have failed to achieve the offensive benchmarks we set for ourselves.”

The Cougars have had an incredibly difficult time on offense, averaging just 12.3 points per game against Big 12 rivals and 13.6 points overall. Their average in total yards during conference matchups is 282.9, while their overall average sits at 291.5. With fewer than 300 yards per game, they rank among seven teams in the Bowl Subdivision struggling to break this threshold.

Midway through the season, the Cougars made a switch at quarterback, with Zeon Chriss stepping in for Donovan Smith. Collectively, the two have managed to throw only eight touchdown passes against a concerning 15 interceptions.

Houston concludes its season on Saturday against No. 19 BYU, currently holding a record of 4-7 and 3-5 within the Big 12.