Overview
- Houston announced that Kurt Hester, the program’s director of strength and performance, died Saturday at 61 after an eight-month battle with cancer.
- He was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma in February and had recently spent more than a week in the hospital because of an infection.
- Coach Willie Fritz said Hester visited the football facility Thursday to deliver a final message to the team.
- The Cougars beat ranked Arizona State 24-16 in Tempe, with quarterback Conner Weigman posting 201 passing yards, 111 rushing yards and three total touchdowns.
- Tributes from Fritz, players and peers praised Hester’s impact and prior stops at Tulane, Louisiana Tech and D1 Sports, and he is survived by his wife, Seana, and children Sydney, Rieleah and Remy.