Houston’s most important quotes from Big 12 media days

LAS VEGAS — Wille Fritz may be entering his first season as a Power Four head coach, but Houston will be the sixth program he has tried to rebuild. Most recently, he led Tulane from non-existence to back-to-back American Athletic Conference championship games, including a victory in the New Year’s Six Bowl.

Fritz has favored a slow build. Tulane has had just two winning seasons in his first six years. He knows the Big 12 requires a faster schedule.

“We don’t have three years to build a culture,” Fritz said at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday.

Here are the most important Las Vegas quotes that indicate when to expect a revival.

The New Houston

You’ve heard of the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. Fritz lives his life by the Platinum Rule.

“I’m going to treat you the way you show me I should treat you,” Fritz told BYUtv Sports Nation. “You act like a good guy, I’m going to think you’re a good guy. You act like a poop, I’m going to think you’re a poop.”

Fritz’s frenetic training pace energized the entire team.

“He’s got his megaphone and his little microphone that’s hooked up to the speakers throughout practice,” quarterback Donovan Smith told Pawd Slamma Jamma. “You’ll just hear him say, ‘Run, run, run!’”

Smith also said Fritz is trying to train players in what he describes as “academic weapons.” The program increased its team scoring average by 15 percent from last year this spring.

“Some days Coach Fritz comes to your class and you’re like, ‘Wow!’” right guard Tank Jenkins told Pawd Slamma Jamma. “We take everything seriously in school. Everybody wants to get A’s.”

Even after injury, Donovan Smith remains QB1

Smith tore his labrum in Week 9 last year and had surgery in January, sidelining him for the spring break. Houston brought in Zeon Chriss, a Louisiana native who has similar dual-threat ability to Smith. But Fritz raved about Smith’s attitude this spring and said he could be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12.

“He was sitting next to me (during spring training), with the communication between the sideline and the headset,” Fritz told ESPN’s production office. “He was listening to the call, I was reading the script, I had him review everything he was looking at based on coverage and progression.”

Smith told reporters he was cleared to play for two months and was throwing 65-yard passes at the Manning Passing Academy.

List Updates

Media days are usually sunny and rosy, but Fritz got a dose of cold reality. Corey Platt Jr., a projected starter after transferring from Tulane, will miss the season after injuring his Achilles tendon following spring practice.

Fritz also said his depth chart will be in constant flux through Week 3 of the season. He will rotate 20 players on offense and defense. Fritz, a defensive backs coach by trade, said the program doesn’t tackle much during preseason camp, so it will take live action to evaluate players. Right guard Tank Jenkins is the only solid starter on the offensive line.

Fritz praised former Austin LBJ star Latrell McCutchin Sr. He said the former Oklahoma and USC defensive back has NFL potential and would also play a role on the Cougars’ special teams.

“I think he’s a top-notch cornerback,” Fritz told ESPN’s production. “I’ve coached defense a lot in my career, and he’s one of the best cornerbacks I’ve ever been around.”