Letter from the Athletics Director Eddie Nuñez
7/11/2025 10:55:00 AM | General
Eddie Nuñez addresses Cougar Nation with summer update letter
Dear Cougar Nation,
As we conclude another incredible year at the University of Houston, I want to take a moment to say thank you—to our passionate fans, dedicated alumni, loyal donors, and the entire Cougar community—for your unwavering support. Together, we've made this past year (11 months to be exact for me!), a memorable one in our program's proud history.
From a thrilling journey to the Men's Basketball National Championship Game to numerous conference and national achievements across multiple sports, our student-athletes have once again shown what it means to wear the Cougar colors with pride. And their accomplishments extend beyond competition this year, with our student-athletes recording the highest average GPA in program history with a 3.31 and the highest APR (Academic Progress Report) score in program history, proving that excellence in the classroom matters just as much as it does on the field.
Among our many highlights from the 2024-25 year, we had 10 teams represented at NCAA postseason championships, our Men's Basketball team won the Big 12 Regular Season and Tournament Championship, in addition to its incredible run to the title game and UH also garnered 17 All-Americans and 50 All-Conference honorees across all sports. The National Championship Game drew 21.1 million viewers, the most viewed basketball game (college or professional basketball) this past year, creating an estimated $6.1 billion in free advertising for the University. That exposure also exploded on social media where tens of thousands of new fans started to follow the University of Houston. Kelvin Sampson was named National Coach of Year and agreed to a new contract extension that will keep him atop our program for years to come.
This past year also brought exciting new coaches to three of our programs, welcoming new head coaches in Ben Williams in Soccer, Matthew Mitchell in Women's Basketball, and Chrissy Schoonmaker in Softball. These individuals bring elite experience, a passion for student-athlete development, and a commitment to competing at the highest level, and I have no doubt they will have an immediate impact on our teams and community.
Of course, the success of our student-athletes is only made possible because of your support. This past year was special for Houston Athletics fundraising. You answered the call yet again, as we set a department record in several fundraising areas. We had 160+ major gifts (100 were first-time major gifts from existing donors, a 97% increase from a year ago). Our great supporters also set a record with more than $9 million contributed to the Cougar Pride Annual Fund and we added over 200 new Cougar Pride members. The unwavering support and generous contributions from our donors, alumni, and fans have been essential to our growth—and will continue to be a driving force as we grow our budget in the Big 12 Conference. Your generosity is helping us build not just competitive teams, but championship-level infrastructure, culture, and opportunities for our student-athletes.
As you know from our announcement this week, we are so proud and grateful to formally introduce the Nantz Leadership Society. A new philanthropic giving society that will directly impact the UH student-athlete experience for generations to come. We cannot thank Jim Nantz enough for his consistent and unwavering support of the Coogs, and for his leadership and commitment to helping us raise the level of Cougar Athletics.
Looking ahead to the 2025-26 year, we are embracing the new era of college athletics with a positive mindset of bold ambition, strategic investment, and relentless pursuit of excellence. We are not just keeping pace with change; we are setting the standard. Whether it's pushing boundaries in performance, academic success, or community engagement, our standard is simple: excellence in everything we do.
While revenue-sharing with student-athletes is now officially upon us, it is critical that we also maintain NIL opportunities for our student-athletes. If you have any questions regarding revenue-sharing, NIL or are interested in having any of our student-athletes represent third-party NIL deals, please visit
https://app.uhcougars.com/UH25PartnerWSA.
This is a Call to Action for members of the UH community who are business owners or decision-makers at businesses. Stakeholders who actively support legitimate NIL opportunities for student-athletes will bolster our efforts in competing at the highest level.
I'm looking forward to the opening of our new Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center later this month and certainly look forward to seeing you this fall at our games or simply around campus. I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of our donors, fans and partners who continue to believe in our vision. You are the heartbeat of the athletics program and your loyalty fuels us.
Thank you for being a part of this journey. We're just getting started—and the best is yet to come. I hope that you are having a wonderful summer!
Go Coogs!
Eddie Nuñez
Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics
University of Houston
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of University of Houston Athletics by supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective – and by joining Cougar Pride which provides financial support for student-athlete scholarships and priority needs of the Athletics Department.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougars on X, formerly Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at HoustonAthletics or on the team's Instagram page at houstoncougars.
As we conclude another incredible year at the University of Houston, I want to take a moment to say thank you—to our passionate fans, dedicated alumni, loyal donors, and the entire Cougar community—for your unwavering support. Together, we've made this past year (11 months to be exact for me!), a memorable one in our program's proud history.
From a thrilling journey to the Men's Basketball National Championship Game to numerous conference and national achievements across multiple sports, our student-athletes have once again shown what it means to wear the Cougar colors with pride. And their accomplishments extend beyond competition this year, with our student-athletes recording the highest average GPA in program history with a 3.31 and the highest APR (Academic Progress Report) score in program history, proving that excellence in the classroom matters just as much as it does on the field.
Among our many highlights from the 2024-25 year, we had 10 teams represented at NCAA postseason championships, our Men's Basketball team won the Big 12 Regular Season and Tournament Championship, in addition to its incredible run to the title game and UH also garnered 17 All-Americans and 50 All-Conference honorees across all sports. The National Championship Game drew 21.1 million viewers, the most viewed basketball game (college or professional basketball) this past year, creating an estimated $6.1 billion in free advertising for the University. That exposure also exploded on social media where tens of thousands of new fans started to follow the University of Houston. Kelvin Sampson was named National Coach of Year and agreed to a new contract extension that will keep him atop our program for years to come.
This past year also brought exciting new coaches to three of our programs, welcoming new head coaches in Ben Williams in Soccer, Matthew Mitchell in Women's Basketball, and Chrissy Schoonmaker in Softball. These individuals bring elite experience, a passion for student-athlete development, and a commitment to competing at the highest level, and I have no doubt they will have an immediate impact on our teams and community.
Of course, the success of our student-athletes is only made possible because of your support. This past year was special for Houston Athletics fundraising. You answered the call yet again, as we set a department record in several fundraising areas. We had 160+ major gifts (100 were first-time major gifts from existing donors, a 97% increase from a year ago). Our great supporters also set a record with more than $9 million contributed to the Cougar Pride Annual Fund and we added over 200 new Cougar Pride members. The unwavering support and generous contributions from our donors, alumni, and fans have been essential to our growth—and will continue to be a driving force as we grow our budget in the Big 12 Conference. Your generosity is helping us build not just competitive teams, but championship-level infrastructure, culture, and opportunities for our student-athletes.
As you know from our announcement this week, we are so proud and grateful to formally introduce the Nantz Leadership Society. A new philanthropic giving society that will directly impact the UH student-athlete experience for generations to come. We cannot thank Jim Nantz enough for his consistent and unwavering support of the Coogs, and for his leadership and commitment to helping us raise the level of Cougar Athletics.
Looking ahead to the 2025-26 year, we are embracing the new era of college athletics with a positive mindset of bold ambition, strategic investment, and relentless pursuit of excellence. We are not just keeping pace with change; we are setting the standard. Whether it's pushing boundaries in performance, academic success, or community engagement, our standard is simple: excellence in everything we do.
While revenue-sharing with student-athletes is now officially upon us, it is critical that we also maintain NIL opportunities for our student-athletes. If you have any questions regarding revenue-sharing, NIL or are interested in having any of our student-athletes represent third-party NIL deals, please visit
https://app.uhcougars.com/UH25PartnerWSA.
This is a Call to Action for members of the UH community who are business owners or decision-makers at businesses. Stakeholders who actively support legitimate NIL opportunities for student-athletes will bolster our efforts in competing at the highest level.
I'm looking forward to the opening of our new Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center later this month and certainly look forward to seeing you this fall at our games or simply around campus. I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of our donors, fans and partners who continue to believe in our vision. You are the heartbeat of the athletics program and your loyalty fuels us.
Thank you for being a part of this journey. We're just getting started—and the best is yet to come. I hope that you are having a wonderful summer!
Go Coogs!
Eddie Nuñez
Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics
University of Houston
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of University of Houston Athletics by supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective – and by joining Cougar Pride which provides financial support for student-athlete scholarships and priority needs of the Athletics Department.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougars on X, formerly Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at HoustonAthletics or on the team's Instagram page at houstoncougars.
– UHCougars.com –
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