Cougar Mountain Stadium just became the Big House.

Yough moved swiftly to fill its football coaching vacancy, hiring alum Scott Houseman — a hulking, 6-foot-4, 320-pound lineman in his Division I playing days — to take over the struggling Cougars.

Houseman, 26, who played at Lackawanna before spending seven years at Albany, including one year as a graduate assistant, only had one interview, so he wasn’t certain he was the top choice.

“I had a feeling, but I wasn’t sure,” Houseman said. “I knew the interview went well. My worry was whether they wanted to stay in house or go outside. Me being in the building was a huge plus.”

Yough stayed in “House,” promoting Houseman, who was an assistant last season under Ben Hoffer —another proud Yough alum —who resigned after four seasons with a 10-30 record.

Houseman works at the high school as a building substitute. Think of him as a relief pitcher in the bullpen ready to fill in when a full-timer is ill or needs a day off.

He knows the players, sees them in school and keeps up with them. Eventually, he wants to teach them.

Houseman is pursuing a master’s degree in secondary education through Cal (Pa.).

Houseman, who medically retired late in his college playing career, follows another Yough football alum to the head coaching ranks. Cougars all-time leading rusher Dustin Shoaf, 25, who also teaches as Yough, is primed for his second season at Southmoreland.

Houseman will try to do what several men before could not: get Yough to win again. The Cougars have not made the WPIAL playoffs since 2013.

Yough was 2-8 last season, including an 0-5 mark in the Interstate Conference. The Cougars gave up 388 points, second-most in 3A.

“At the end of the day I know it’s going to be an uphill battle,” Houseman said. “Being a Yough guy and playing here, I know what these guys are going through. But I believe in them. These kids need people to believe in them. I want to win here, yes. But I also want to develop these kids so they can come back and be proud of what they built.”

WPIAL realignment didn’t do the Cougars any favors. It tossed them into a geographically bizarre conference with defending WPIAL and PIAA champion Avonworth, Propel Braddock Hills, Shady Side Academy, South Park and West Mifflin.

But Houseman isn’t whining because the schedule is already made.

“We have a great opportunity to compete and prove ourselves,” he said. “I feel there are games where we can be competitive in. It’s all about competing. Compete, compete, compete and you have a chance to win games.”

Yough’s nonconference opponents are Greensburg Central Catholic, Ligonier Valley, Uniontown, Mt. Pleasant and Albert Gallatin.

Houseman has talked to Hoffer about the ins and outs of being a head coach.

“This is a small town and people know you,” Houseman said. “They want to see us win. Benny knew I wanted to be a head coach, so I was always trying to learn from what he was doing.”