New University of Houston head coach Tony Levine met the media for the first time as the official replacement for the departed Kevin Sumlin on Thursday, a day after being promoted from interim head coach. Levine, the Cougars' special teams coordinator and a staff member since 2008, talked about the importance of consistency in staff and philosophy for UH's continued success:
"I think continuity is important," he said. "There are coaches on this staff, like myself, who have said, 'No,' to opportunities the last couple of years, and I know there are coaches on this staff that will have other opportunities moving forward."
Levine also possessing experience Sumlin didn't - as a member of Bobby Petrino's staff at Louisville in the 2000s, Levine saw firsthand what it took for a program to transition from Conference USA to the Big East and raise funds for a new stadium, two tasks ahead of the Cougars. Levine received one endorsement of merit - outgoing quarterback Case Keenum:
"It's all been seamless, from coach Sumlin to coach Levine becoming the interim and now to this," Keenum said. "It's going to be seamless, and I think that's what a big-time program is able to do. Everybody handled the situation with class, in a first-class way, and I think that says something about the people we have here. It's a first-class program, this is how things should be done, and it's exciting because I think it says a lot about where we're headed."
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