NEW ORLEANS – Tulane University Director of Athletics Troy Dannen will formally introduce new head football coach Willie Fritz at a press conference on Tuesday, December 15, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. in the Jill. H. and Avram A. Glazer Family Club at Yulman Stadium.
The event is open to the public.
"Willie was our number one target of this coaching search from the day it began," Dannen said. "We attracted significant interest from around the country but after meeting with the candidates it was clear Willie was the right fit for our institution and our football program. He has rebuilt three football programs and led each of those programs into national prominence at their respective level. In his 23 years as a head coach, Willie has an established track record of producing quality men, high academic achievements and great competitive success."
"I am very excited about the opportunity to lead the Tulane football program and be a part of such a prestigious academic institution," Fritz said. "New Orleans and the surrounding areas are a hotbed for high school football and I look forward to the challenge of building Tulane into a consistent winner.”
With 193 career victories (193-74-1), Fritz is currently the fourth active winningest head coach among coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He is currently tied with Kansas State's Bill Snyder.
Fritz brings 33 years of collegiate experience as a football student-athlete or coach to the Green Wave. He has led his teams to six combined conference championships (one at every level he has coached) and two bowl appearances. He was also twice named the national coach of the year, including the American Football Coaches Association Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coach of the Year in 2011 and the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year in 2012.
Fritz, 55, comes to Tulane from Georgia Southern where he spent two seasons and led the Eagles to a combined record of 17-7, a 2014 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) title and the school's first-ever NCAA postseason bowl game with their berth in the 2015 GoDaddy.com Bowl. Georgia Southern concluded the 2015 regular season with an 8-4 overall record, including a mark of 6-2 in conference play.
Fritz led the Eagles to a 9-3 overall record and a perfect mark of 8-0 in conference play during his first season at Georgia Southern in 2014, and was named the SBC Coach of the Year. However, the school's waiver claim to allow Georgia Southern to play in a bowl despite being in the second year of the NCAA's transition period was denied.
Prior to Georgia Southern, Fritz served as head coach at Sam Houston State from 2010-13. He led the Bearkats to a 40-15 record in four seasons. Sam Houston State played for the FCS National Championship in 2011 and 2012. He also coached at Blinn College (1993-96) and the University of Central Missouri (1997-2009).
Coach Fritz will be in attendance for Monday night’s Tulane men’s basketball game against Prairie View A&M at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.