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HOUSTON -- In recent years, Houston has been a stepping stone, a quick stop for up-and-coming coaches on their way to jobs seen as bigger and better.Art Briles was at Houston before leaving for Baylor. Kevin Sumlin started with the Cougars before moving on to Texas A&M, and last month Tom Herman left for Texas after just two seasons with the Cougars.On Monday, Houston introduced Major Applewhite as its latest hire and the 38-year-old first-time head coach insisted hes different than those who simply used the job as a springboard.I want to be here long-term, Applewhite said. I want to be here for the guys. I want to be here for the city and for the university ... I think at this point in time in the history of this football program I think it is important to develop continuity.The introduction of Applewhite was less a news conference than it was a pep rally. There were cheerleaders waving white and red pom poms, a band and scores of fans and dignitaries, which included Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and state lawmaker Sheila Jackson Lee. But the pomp and circumstance of the day couldnt hide the fact that the Cougars werent expecting to be introducing another new coach so soon.Seems like we just did this ... the players look a lot happier this time though, board of regents chairman Tilman Fertitta said with a laugh.Applewhite spent the last two seasons as Hermans offensive coordinator and takes over a program that went 22-4 in that time. The Cougars (9-3) wrap up the season on Saturday when they meet San Diego State in the Las Vegas Bowl.Houston got wins over Oklahoma and Louisville this season, but took a step back by losing to SMU, Navy and Memphis, and failing to qualify for the American Athletic Conference title game a year after winning the league championship. Applewhite said he expects better than winning nine games and hell work to get the team back to where it was last season when the Cougars finished 13-1.Nobody in this room will set a higher expectation for this football team than me. That is the facts, he said. Ive always been a winner, I will always be a winner and I will always set those expectations for our football team.He directed his first practice as head coach on Monday morning and though hes waited for the opportunity to be in charge of a program for years, he downplayed the significance of the moment.It really hasnt sunk in, he said. Its very similar to when I was playing and I was in a backup role and then I was put in the game. Its just: Go do your job.Quarterback Greg Ward was chosen to introduce Applewhite to the group and it seemed to catch him a bit off guard.I appreciate that, Applewhite said. That was pretty solid.Ward, who worked closely with Applewhite over the past two seasons, raved about his coach.Regardless of any circumstance, hes going to be honest with you, Ward said. Hes also going to be more competitive than you if you let him and hes going to bring his `A game every single day.Under Applewhites direction, the Cougars gained more than 500 yards 11 times and passed the 600-yard mark four times. The offense piled up 40 points 12 times and scored at least 50 points five other occasions in the past two seasons.Applewhite spent seven seasons as an assistant at Texas before joining Hermans staff. He was the co-offensive coordinator in his last four seasons with the Longhorns after working as assistant head coach for the first three seasons. In his time with the Longhorns he focused on working with quarterbacks and running backs.Before joining the Longhorns, Applewhite spent the 2007 season as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama, a season where he was the youngest coordinator in the FBS. It was there that he found his most important mentor among many who have influenced him as a coach.Working a year with Nick Saban. I just think hes in the major leagues and a lot of people are playing farm-A ball, he said. He is ahead of the game. Just his organization, that hand he has in everything, the way he distributes roles and gives everybody a sense of purpose and a sense of motivation when they walk in the office.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. NCAA Jerseys Wholesale . 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Cheap College Jerseys From China .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. The 33rd Maui Invitational tips off Monday and will feature another field loaded with basketball powerhouses. The eight-team tournament will consist of schools that have a combined 14 NCAA championships, 40 Final Four appearances and 192 NCAA tournament appearances.This years field includes Oregon, Tennessee, Georgetown, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, UConn, North Carolina and host Chaminade.The winner at Maui has gone on to become national champs four times, with UConn in 2010-11 being the most recent. North Carolina has won the tournament three times.Tennessee and Wisconsin open play at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.?The Badgers will be making their third Maui Invitational appearance, coming in third place in 2009 and finishing seventh in 1995. Wisconsin has a plus-19 margin on the boards through three games, and they enter the tournament tied as the fifth-best rebounding team in the country.But the Badgers have averaged just 24.dddddddddddd7 points per game in the paint, which is more than only Vanderbilt among major conference teams. One reason for that is the subpar play by preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Nigel Hayes, who is averaging just 11 points per game thus far.Senior guard Bronson Koenig is off to a solid start, averaging a career-best 15.7 points per game despite shooting just 27.6 percent from beyond the arc. However, he needs just 16 points to become the 43rd player in Wisconsin history to score 1,000 points in a career.Wisconsin began the season at No. 9 in the AP top-25 poll, which was tied for the second-highest preseason ranking in school history. But after suffering an early-season loss to the now-12th-ranked Creighton Blue Jays, the Badgers have slipped to No. 16 in this weeks poll.-- Josiah Turner ' ' '