ARLINGTON, Texas – Bill Yeoman was an innovator. He was daring. He broke down racial barriers. He was a Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame, leading the Cougars to the Classic four times in his coaching career. The college football community lost a great one this week with Yeoman's passing on Aug. 12 at the age of 92.
 
Yeoman set the standard at the University of Houston, leading the Cougars to three Cotton Bowl appearances in four years. For his many accomplishments, he was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2001.
 
He was the architect of the veer offense, a triple-option attack that became prevalent throughout college and high school football in the 1970s and 1980s. Yeoman recruited Black athletes before any major program in Texas. Between his recruiting and his offense, Yeoman created a powerhouse. He famously led the Cougars to a 100-6 victory over Tulsa in 1968.
 
Yeoman couldn't have asked for a better introduction to Southwest Conference football. After a 2-8-0 finish in Houston's final year as an independent, few expected the Cougars to do much in their first SWC season. So, all Yeoman did was lead Houston to a share of the conference title and thump undefeated Maryland in the 1977 Classic.
 
Two years later, the Cougars were back in Dallas for the infamous "Ice Bowl" showdown with Notre Dame and one of college football's greatest thrillers. The following season, Houston won the SWC title again and landed in the Cotton Bowl for a third time. Now it was Houston's turn to deliver a knockout blow in the final minute, clipping Nebraska on a touchdown pass in the final 12 seconds.
 
Three Cotton Bowl trips in four years proved to the rest of the SWC that Yeoman's Cougars had come to play.