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Huntsville ISD coach hired as UH football strength, performance coach

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Published  January 7, 2026 2:15pm CST
University of Houston
FOX 26 Houston

The Brief

    • Now former Huntsville ISD Coach Bennie Wylie has been announced as UH's new Director of Football Strength & Performance.
    • Wylie has previously worked with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Tech among other teams, according to the university.
    • The announcement comes months after UH's previous director, Kurt Hester, passed away.

HOUSTON - The University of Houston has announced its new Director of Football Strength and Performance following the passing of Coach Kurt Hester.

UH football: New strength, performance director announced

The backstory:

The University of Houston has announced that Bennie Wylie will be joining the Coogs as the new football strength and performance director.

Wylie took the position and resigned from his previous coaching job with Huntsville ISD. The district announced that Coach Wylie's resignation went into effect on New Year's Day.

According to the district, Coach Wylie focused on strength and conditioning for student athletes, and he led several district efforts focused on health and wellness.

(Photo credit: Huntsville Independence School District)

UH says Coach Wylie is one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the country. In addition to Huntsville ISD, he has previously worked with the Dallas Cowboys, Texas State, and Oklahoma University, among other teams.

According to the announcement, Coach Wylie has trained 56 NFL draft picks, including six first-round picks.

‘That was for you, Coach’

Kurt Hester (Photo credit: Instagram: @hesterkurt)

Dig deeper:

The announcement of Coach Wylie's hiring comes about 2.5 months after the passing of UH's previous football strength and performance director, Kurt Hester.

Coach Hester passed away in Oct. 2025 following a battle with cancer. He was 61 years old.

Shortly before his death, Coach Hester was featured on ESPN sharing his cancer battle while continuing his work with the Coogs.

According to the UH report of his passing, Kurt Hester was diagnosed with melanoma in Feb. 2025, and doctors gave him 4–6 weeks to live. His condition was improving, but he was hospitalized with an infection ahead of the Coog's game against Arizona.

The team ended up beating the Sun Devils 24-16, then posted on X, "That was for you, Coach."

MORE: UH football strength, performance coach Kurt Hester dies after cancer battle

The Source: University of Houston, Huntsville ISD, and previous FOX 26 reporting.

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