Football

Ron Harris
Ron Harris

Position:
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line

Veteran coach Ron Harris embarks upon his third season as the Cougars' defensive coordinator. This season Harris will take on the added chore of coaching the UH defensive line after one season coordinating the Houston defense. In 2003-his first year at UH-Harris assisted with the secondary.

After spending three seasons as the defensive line coach at Texas Tech, Harris joined the UH football staff in 2003, following his former colleague, Art Briles, when Briles accepted the head coaching duties at the University of Houston.

While coaching the Red Raiders, Harris' line was part of a Texas Tech defense that ranked among the nation's best during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

In 2002, Harris led a Red Raider line that saw senior Aaron Hunt become the career sack leader for both Texas Tech and the Big XII. In addition to Hunt, Harris also coached defensive tackle Rodney McKinney, who earned multiple All-Big XII team honors.

As a team, the Red Raiders won nine games - for only the fourth time in over 25 years - as well as the `Unofficial State Championship of Texas.'

Some of Harris' standout pupils at Texas Tech include defensive tackle Kris Kocurek (Tennessee Titans) and defensive end David Lemons (Miami Dolphins).

A former head coach at Western New Mexico University in 1995, Harris went to Texas Tech from Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Ariz., where he served as offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator for two seasons.

Prior to 1995, Harris spent three seasons at Navy where he worked with defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs for the Midshipmen from 1992-94. He also served as a graduate assistant at Utah for two years, tutoring defensive backs from 1990-91.

Harris was the assistant head coach and defensive line coach at Glendale (Ariz.) Community College from 1988-89, helping coach GCC to a NCJAA National Championship in 1988. His first stint as a collegiate coach came at Northern Arizona where he served as graduate assistant and defensive line coach from 1986-87.

Harris began his coaching career at the high school level, spending a year at Moorpark High School in 1981 and Westlake High School in California from 1982-83. In 1984 he moved to Phoenix and continued his coaching career at Horizon High School for a year and spent the 1985 season at Paradise Valley High.

A center for the Cal Lutheran squad from 1977-80, Harris earned two undergraduate degrees from the institution in 1980.

Harris and his wife, the former Melissa Fouts, were married in 2002 and reside in League City. The couple has two daughters, Amy Nicole, born in September, 2003, and Brynn Michelle, born this past May.

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