The UH Alumni Roundup

Stories of note for forever members of the Cougar Nation.

A Cougar for Life

Megafan Donald Scherer, aka “The Crazy Cougar,” has been cheering on UH from the sidelines (and sometimes on the field itself) for more than 50 years.

Donald Scherer poses with two University of Houston mascots
Donald Scherer throws up the Cougar paw hand sign in the stands at a University of Houston game.

Donald Scherer has been a familiar sight at UH football and basketball games for decades.

Donald Scherer has been a familiar sight at UH football and basketball games for decades.

A young Donald Scherer poses in a graduation robe and cap with his father on his graduation day in 1979.

A young Donald (left) poses with his father on graduation day at UH in 1978.

A young Donald (left) poses with his father on graduation day at UH in 1978.

“I’ve been a diehard Coog my whole life,” says Donald Scherer, known more commonly in the Cougar fan community as “The Crazy Cougar.” In 1968, when he was a teenager, his father took him to his first Cougar football game at the Astrodome, during which UH handily beat the University of Tulsa 100–6.

“You can imagine that made a very large impression on me,” Scherer says. The experience influenced him to attend UH after high school, and he received his bachelor’s degree from the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture & Design in 1978.

Since then, Scherer has remained a familiar sight at UH football and basketball games, having held season tickets for 30-plus years and often traveling to away games to show his support alongside a core group of dedicated Cougar fans.

“It’s a lot of fun at the away games because we’re usually a very small, vocal group in a little pocket of seats,” he says. “Especially me — I’m very, very vocal.”

So vocal, in fact, that the players have gotten to know Scherer by the volume of his boisterous cheers, chants and shouts of encouragement.

“For 30 years, I had four seats in the first row right behind the Cougar bench at Hofheinz [Pavilion, now the Fertitta Center] — like, 6 feet behind Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Young,” he reminisces fondly about watching the legendary Phi Slama Jama team of 1982–1984. “I got to know those guys a little closer than most fans. ... I’d yell at Clyde, ‘How’d you miss that dunk?’ and he’d give me one of those sheepish grins, like, ‘I hear you. I won’t do it again.’”

After his children were born, Scherer naturally began bringing them along to games. Two of those kids went on to graduate from UH.

“I’ve got a picture of Hakeem Olajuwon holding [my son] up above his head at Hofheinz for him to dunk the ball, when he was about 4 years old,” he says. “That’s one of my most treasured photos.”

A faithful Cougar fan to this day, Scherer now loves attending games with his grandchildren, one of whom, he says, attended his first Cougar basketball game at just 5 days old.

Introducing ‘Houston Blue’

Get your special-edition UH merch before it’s gone.

On Nov. 1, the University of Houston introduced “Houston Blue” for UH Athletics teams in a limited number of designated games, including the Nov. 23 football matchup between UH and Baylor University. Other UH teams will wear Houston Blue uniforms at special events throughout the year.

Light blue has been woven into the fabric of Houston’s identity for more than a century, seen most notably in the city’s flag, adopted in 1915, and the iconic white-and-blue mosaic curb tiles marking intersections and addresses beginning in the late 1920s. The Houston Police Department even drove unmistakable blue cruisers and wore light blue uniforms for many years. Earlier this year, the Houston Texans incorporated “H-Town Blue” in their new uniforms.

UH’s version of Houston Blue emphasizes the University’s connection to the city’s heritage. Now, UH fans can support their teams with new Houston Blue merchandise available for purchase through the UH Campus Store and other area retailers.

A blue University of Houston jersey with the number 27 in white, outlined in red

‘Whose House? Coogs’ House!’

The real story behind UH’s iconic chant and hand sign.

A comic strip graphic. The first box has an illustration of the University of Houston football field during a game. With the text, “Roll up to any University of Houston sporting event, and you’ll hear the famous chant being roared loud and proud by Cougar fans as they throw the famous Cougar hand sign in the air: ring finger and thumb of the right hand folded inward.” The second box has an illustration of a cougar looking panicked with an exclamation sign. With the text, “Although the mantra — an official University tradition that alludes to the Cougars’ habit of beating competing football teams in their own stadiums — wasn’t invented until 1988 by former UH cheerleader Paul Pettit, the Cougar sign dates all the way back to 1953. Shasta I, then the presiding cougar mascot, lost a front toe in a cage door on the way to a game.” The third box has an illustration of five men wearing University of Texas logos holding up hands with the thumb tucked in and the ring finger bent down. With the text “The opposing team, The University of Texas at Austin, mocked UH by imitating the cougar’s injury and bending their ring fingers toward their palms.” The fourth box has an illustration of three UH students holding up hands with the thumb tucked in and the ring finger bent down. With the text, “UT ended up winning that game 29–7, but the Cougars didn’t let it lie; they adopted the gesture as a symbol of pride and perseverance. Fifteen years later, at their second meeting, Cougar fans raised their “paws” and spurred their team to battle UT to a 20–20 tie. Today, according to tradition, Cougars still extend their paws and yell “Whose house? Coogs’ house!” during games to show unity among the UH community.

Raise a Glass to UH

In Tempore Wine Club supports student scholarships.

Boxes and bottles of wine, with the InTempore and University of Houston logos on them

The University of Houston has launched the In Tempore Wine Club in collaboration with Fairwinds Estate Winery, bringing UH spirit to Napa Valley’s acclaimed Silverado Trail. This exclusive wine collection offers members fine wine while supporting UH student scholarships. Membership perks include two shipments a year, access to rare releases, beautifully branded UH crates and accessories, and free tastings in Napa Valley. Celebrate the spirit of UH with every sip.

Sign up here.

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