Herman in the eye of every job storm
In the past year, Tom Herman’s name has been tied to every vacant head coaching job — and sometimes even those that are not available.
He has been mentioned as a candidate at South Carolina. And Maryland. And Missouri. And Georgia. This summer it was Baylor that interrupted the Herman family vacation at a central Texas waterpark. Now it’s LSU. Right now, UH holds the Golden Ticket that is Herman, arguably the hottest up-and-coming head coach in college football. He has gone 17-1 and turned the Cougars into a national title contender in just his second season.
As UH keeps winning, the rumor mill will keep churning. It’s the price you must pay for being relevant.
And it’s not going to stop with LSU. What happens when Southern California comes calling?
Or Texas hands Herman and his agent a blank check?
Within hours of Les Miles’ firing Sunday, Herman shot down a report that LSU already had con-
tacted his representative.
“I can say unequivocally nobody’s contacted me,” Herman said. “Beyond that, I’m not going to give it the time of day.”
What about contacting your agent, Tom?
“Inaccurate,” Herman said.
It’s not a subject Herman is particularly interested in talking about, and who can blame him?
Each time his name comes up for another job he has to explain to recruits. He gathered his team last season and again Sunday to tell them what they were hearing and reading was not true.
“Our No. 1 core value is honesty,” Herman said. “There’s not one thing in this program that I told them was going to happen that didn’t happen. There’s not one thing in this program that wasn’t going to happen that did happen.”
Every coach has a list of “dream jobs,” that next step on the career path. There are cases to be made for several schools that could come calling.
Herman grew up in Southern California. He has ties to UT, where he was a graduate assistant under Mack Brown. Some Ohio State fans still aren’t over Herman leaving and would welcome him back with open arms when Urban Meyer decides to leave. And, yes, even LSU offers unlimited resources, a rabid fan base and the bright lights of the big, bad SEC.
I asked Herman this week if he ever thinks about his career trajectory — or people deciding it for him?
“No, it’s day-to-day,” he said without hesitation. “I want to beat UConn. That’s all I’m concerned with.”
Are you happy in Houston?
“Yes, very happy,” he said.
Then he politely told me: “That’s all you’re getting.”
Maybe LSU has not called just yet; it had been only a few hours since Miles was fired that Scout. com’s report surfaced saying the school reached out to Herman and former Baylor coach Art Briles through their agents.
It is widely speculated that Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher and Herman are 1A and 1B (you pick the order) on LSU’s wish list. And by making a move before the calendar flips to October, athletic director Joe Alleva is counting on being first in line.
And you can bet your red beans and rice that LSU will be interested, especially if it’s serious in landing an offensive-minded coach who has a reputation for developing quarterbacks.
If that time comes, nobody can blame Herman if he listens. Remember Herman later admitted that talks with at least one school, presumably South Carolina, “got very intense” last season before deciding he likes winning and wants to make his mark in his first head coaching job.
“I feel like we are building a program here,” Herman said. “Not just a season.”
For its part, UH has more than doubled Herman’s annual salary to $3 million. Construction on an indoor practice facility, another condition in Herman’s contract, is set to begin after this season and open in time for the 2017 season.
Not to mention Herman is in line to receive a onetime $5 million bonus if UH is invited to a Power Five conference.
Right now that’s on shaky ground amid reports that Oklahoma is now against Big 12 expansion. Note: OU president David Boren released a statement Tuesday night denying the reports and saying, “Oklahoma has not yet taken a position on expansion.”
So like the Herman Watch, the drama of “As the Big 12 Turns” continues.
Now you know how Tom Herman feels.