Houston's turnaround on defense led by Doug Belk has been one of the best storylines of the 2021 season.
According to a report tonight, Houston is stepping up big time to show their appreciation.
Matt Zenitz tweets that the third-year Houston defensive coordinator has agreed to a new contract that includes a pay bump.
This isn't just any pay bump though. Belk's pay is set to double, from $500k annually to $1 million per year, according to Zenitz.
Belk, a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, led a defense that improved by over 50 spots nationally in scoring defense (from 80th to 27th) and they jumped from 66th in run defense in 2020 to 13th this season.
When it came down to the hallmark of any elite defense, 3rd down conversion percentage, Houston dominated this year and finished as the top team in the country.
Belk's defense finished in the top 10 in a number of other key defensive metrics as well.
That's significant money for a Group of Five coordinator. Somewhere, Dana Holgorsen has Red Bull still coursing through his veins and has a grin from ear to ear knowing his administration stepped up to get this deal done.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
Houston has agreed to a new contract with defensive coordinator Doug Belk that includes a pay bump from $500,000 to $1 million per year, sources tell @on3sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 10, 2021
Led by Belk, a Broyles semifinalist, Houston is ranked sixth nationally in total defense.https://t.co/k5bN5NhJoE