TWO MONTHS INTO the whirlwind of being Houston's new coach, Willie Fritz paused briefly to reflect.
Fritz had spent most of his career bouncing to different levels of college football, leading five teams before Houston. But after eight seasons at Tulane, Fritz told his wife, Susan, that the tasks and challenges of his newest job were somewhat jarring.
"I kind of forgot about that first year, starting over," Fritz told ESPN. "You've just got to adapt."
Especially in this first year. A new batch of coaches navigates obstacles before each college football season, but 2024 is arguably unlike any other in the sport's history.