In college football, it is the sport that is perpetual, and the entities come and go with time. One coach, however, was shown the way to the exit way before he’d expected. And yet, he continues to show up to do what he loves to do every single day. His wife, however, can’t help but emotionally accept what’s going to come for this unique coach.

Kurt Hester is the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Houston Cougars. He is the man who is responsible for the physical development of the players. Yet, it is Hester who is wheezing by the time he climbs up the stairs to the gym. Some months ago, however, that wasn’t the case. But Kurt Hester was simply in for a brutal turn of events in his life. In February 2025, Hester was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma. Despite this devastating news, Hester still continues to show up on campus to continue training the boys. But his wife, Seana Hester, took the diagnosis the hardest.

“I was paralyzed,” she said in a segment on College GameDay. “It’s just so hard to imagine that he, of all people, one of the healthiest people I know, that this is our life now,” she added. Routine trips to the hospital, an alarming drop in body weight, and teetering on the edge of death, that’s what became the new normal for Kurt Hester.

Seana had more than enough reason to be paralyzed with fear. “The oncologist said, you know, ‘Go home, make peace with your family and your friends. Make sure your will’s in order, and call hospice. They gave me four to six weeks to live,” Hester said on the show.

After being dealt a blow that harsh, very few find the willpower to still make the best of whatever they’ve got. But Kurt Hester continues to attend practice and gamedays at Houston. He still walks those stairs despite it knocking the wind out of him, serving as an inspiration to the players. “It’s like, you know, ‘Why are you taking the elevator? What excuse do you have now?” DL Xavier Stillman told College GameDay. Hester has lost a whopping 50 pounds since the diagnosis. But he continues to fight his illness every way he can.

Kurt Hester fighting cancer in every possible way

Hester started treatment for his cancer in April. But unfortunately, they weren’t bringing in results. But the coach was simply not giving up without a fight. “Either you lay down and die, or you keep moving,” Hester said. He has now included alternative methods in his treatment plans. That includes a whole mix of medications prescribed by his oncologist, and an equally large variety of supplements. He’s also making use of hyperbaric chambers, IV and UV transfusions, saunas, and other medications. “I’m trying to kill cancer in a thousand different ways,” Hester added.

Thankfully, he has now begun to improve. Hester said that his blood markers are getting back to normal and that his tumors are receding. One look at Kurt Hester is enough to picture how close he is to an inevitable death. But that fighting spirit is a big reason Hester has come this far since his cancer diagnosis. He’s frail and weak, but still continues to lift weights at the Houston Cougars gym. Hester still shouts encouragements at the team to fire them up during practice.

“Death is undefeated, but I’ll take it to three overtimes,” Kurt Hester said with a smile. The Cougars are also with their beloved coach in this tough fight. Though he is on the verge of serious damage himself, he continues to show his love for his players. “I love football, I love training, and I love showing them that, look, you’re going to have problems, you’re going to have adversity. You’re going to have to suck it up. No matter how bleak things seem, you can break through that obstacle. That you can survive,” he said. Houston takes on a dominating Texas Tech tonight, and the Cougars will be translating Hester’s strong words into their game tonight.