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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — When asked about reportedly being the next head coach at the University of Houston, Tulane head coach Willie Fritz said what you would expect him to say.

“I put everything I had into the game,” Fritz said. “I have to process things.”

Fritz denied that he had an agreement in place with the University of Houston.

“No,” said the Tulane head coach when asked.

But what he didn’t say is that he would be coaching the Tulane Green Wave next season.

Jog back to the middle of this week a year ago. When asked by a reporter if he would be the Tulane coach next season, Fritz didn’t hesitate.

“Yes I do,” Fritz said.

There was no maybe but that’s how the coach speak game is played. In Saturday’s American Championship game, SMU was clearly the better team.

Tulane’s lack of speed caught up with the Wave. Fritz admitted so in the press conference after the game.

Not having wide receiver Lawrence Keyes and having his fellow wide out, Jha’Quan Jackson, at less than 100 % truly hurt the Tulane offense.

Tulane was held to 14 first downs. The Wave had 269 yards of offense. Michael Pratt was sacked 7 times.

One of Tulane’s two TD drives was one yard. It came after Devean Deal sacked SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings on the first play of the game, and returned the ball to the Ponies one yard line.

“They have a lot of dudes on defense,” Pratt said.

Yep. SMU looked like a Power 5 defensive team, which is where Fritz in all likelihood will be coaching next season.

The timing for Fritz is right. He probably thinks he’s done just about everything he can here, and his starting quarterback, Michael Pratt, is the best in school history, according to Fritz, himself.

Coaches are mountain climbers and Willie Fritz is ready to climb another one.

He was here eight years and the program is light years ahead of where it was when he got here.

The only way for Tulane to avoid losing its coach when the Green Wave wins is to get into a Power 5 league. That will require a massive commitment in head coach and assistants pay, and facilities.

Tulane University will have to step up or the school could go back to where it was years ago when there were few victories and plenty of empty seats.

A month ago, Tulane had the chance to promote deputy AD Kortne Gosha to athletics director.

It chose not.

Was it a factor in Fritz’s decision? Only Fritz knows. But the school should have hired Gosha. It is what the coach said he wanted publicly.

Tulane went in a different direction and unless something earth shattering happens, the school will be hiring a new head football coach for the 12th time in 49 years.

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