The Reason Both Washington State and Houston Have Cougars As Their Mascot

Joe Londergan | Jun 19, 2024

Sep 13, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen and Washington State Cougars head coach Mike Leach talk on the field before a game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout most of American sports, the Cougar is a somewhat common mascot. Usually, it's a tribute to a prevalence of the animal in the area, or, simply because it's a sleek, intimidating symbol for athletic ventures.

When two schools share a mascot, it's usually a coincidence. That's not the case with the Washington State Cougars and the University of Houston Cougars, however. In honor of National Mascot Day, Houston shared the original story on social media of how their version of the Cougar came to be.

"The story began when John R. Bender, a former head football coach of the Washington State Cougars, came to Houston. Due to his fondness for cougars, he decided to name his new team after the big cat. The name quickly caught on, and by 1946, the University of Houston’s official mascot became the 'Cougars' as it got involved in intercollegiate sports."

Bender coached football at Washington State from 1906 to 1907 and then again from 1912 to 1914. After his varsity coaching days came to an official end in 1921, he became a physical education instructor at Houston. In that capacity, he coached a non-varsity football team, similar to a club, which he named the Cougars, due to his fondness for the animal, no doubt influenced by his time in Pullman. The name became a popular symbol at the university and the rest is history, even if Houston did not add varsity football for about twenty more seasons.

Washington State and Houston have met on the gridiron four times previously with Washington State leading the series with three victories. They last met in 2019 when WSU secured a 31-24 win under Mike Leach. There are no current concrete plans for the two schools to play football against one another again.

Published Jun 19, 2024

JOE LONDERGAN

Joe covers college sports from the Group of Five ranks and beyond. He has worked in the sports industry since 2008, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville, and a Master's degree from Seattle University.