Veteran strength and conditioning coach accepts director role with Cougars after service to district athletes
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Coach Bennie Wylie has resigned from Huntsville ISD, effective Jan. 1, to accept a new position with the University of Houston Football program, where he will serve as director of strength and performance.
Huntsville ISD shared the news this week, noting Wylie’s contributions to student-athletes and districtwide wellness initiatives during his time with the school district. District officials expressed appreciation for his service and wished him continued success as he begins the next chapter of his career.
Impact at Huntsville ISD
During his tenure with Huntsville ISD, Wylie worked closely with student-athletes through strength and conditioning programs and played a role in advancing broader health efforts across the district. Among those initiatives was the launch of Healthy Hornets, a wellness-focused program aimed at supporting the physical health of students and staff.
District leaders credited Wylie with supporting athletes not only in performance development but also in promoting overall wellness and discipline within school athletics.
Transition to Houston Football
Wylie’s resignation coincides with his appointment as director of strength and performance for the University of Houston Football program. The announcement was made by Houston head coach Willie Fritz, who added Wylie to the Cougars’ staff following a lengthy career at the highest levels of college football.
In his new role, Wylie will oversee strength, conditioning and performance programming for Houston’s football student-athletes as the program continues to compete at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.
Extensive Power 4 and NFL experience
Wylie brings more than 18 seasons of experience as a head strength and conditioning coach at five Power 4 college football programs. His career includes stops at USC, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Texas Tech, as well as experience with the Dallas Cowboys organization.
Across those programs, teams under Wylie’s performance leadership won 16 bowl games, made two College Football Playoff or national championship appearances, and played in multiple BCS and New Year’s Six bowl games.
Over the course of his career, 56 collegiate athletes who trained under Wylie went on to be selected in the NFL Draft, including six first-round picks such as Caleb Williams, Michael Crabtree, CeeDee Lamb and Kyler Murray. Marquise Brown and Jordan Addison also trained and competed on teams where Wylie led strength and performance efforts.
Recent work at USC and Oklahoma
Most recently, Wylie served as director of strength and conditioning at USC, where the Trojans competed in the Cotton Bowl, Holiday Bowl and Las Vegas Bowl during his tenure. During the offseason between the 2023 and 2024 seasons, USC’s roster collectively added more than 1,400 pounds of muscle under the direction of Wylie and his staff.
Prior to USC, Wylie spent four seasons at Oklahoma as director of sports performance for football. During that span, the Sooners won Big 12 championships in 2018, 2019 and 2020, reached the College Football Playoff semifinals twice and appeared in the Cotton Bowl and Alamo Bowl.
Earlier career and Texas roots
Before his Power 4 coaching career, Wylie worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Dallas Cowboys from 1999 to 2002, assisting with player rehabilitation. He also led strength and conditioning for the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League and later served as director of performance at The Performance Lab in Abilene, Texas, where he also trained U.S. military personnel through Alpha Warrior programs.
Wylie spent seven seasons as head strength and conditioning coach at Texas Tech, where the Red Raiders reached a bowl game every year of his tenure. He also served as strength and conditioning head coach at Texas and Tennessee, adding to his extensive experience across major college football programs.
Sam Houston State connection
Wylie’s professional journey began at Sam Houston State, where he served as a graduate assistant in strength and conditioning in 1998 and was named interim head strength and conditioning coach that same year. He was also a four-year letterwinner as a running back for the Bearkats from 1994 to 1997, serving as team captain during his senior season and earning All-Southland Conference second-team honors. He additionally competed with the Bearkats’ track and field program.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Sam Houston State in 1999 and is a native of Mexia, Texas.
Looking ahead
Wylie and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of twin sons, Braden and Caden, and a daughter, Hope. As he transitions from Huntsville ISD to the University of Houston, Wylie moves from a role focused on student-athletes at the district level back into the collegiate football landscape, bringing decades of experience to the Cougars’ program.
Huntsville ISD officials said they are grateful for Wylie’s time and leadership within the district and wished him well as he continues his career in collegiate athletics.