When it comes to college football, American football coach, Tom Herman is a well-known figure. He has achieved tremendous success over the years while serving as coach of various collegiate teams as he is currently associated with the University of Texas. Having played as a wide receiver at the California Lutheran University for three years, Herman has succeeded in building highly competitive teams in the various universities he has been associated with while working at different coaching positions.
Prior to becoming a head coach for the first time in 2014, Herman has coached receivers, quarterbacks and equally coordinated the offensive line during which he achieved outstanding feats that earned him an award. He has become known for his system of coaching that brings new life to non-performing teams, leading them on to achieving incredible landmarks that have never been recorded in the annals of the teams. Tom has established himself as one of the proficient coaches in the game of which his overall performance so far has reflected on his paycheck which has been on the rise each passing season.
Tom Herman’s Coaching Career Took-off in 1998
Before he launched his coaching career, Tom Herman already worked as an intern for a while, serving at various radio and television stations. He worked as a production assistant for a television network situated in Oxnard, California, and XTRA Radio station in Los Angeles, as well as serving as FOX-TV highlight coordinator.
He began serving as the receiving coach at Texas Lutheran in 1998 and barely a year later, the Ohio native took a position at the University of Texas at Austin working in his capacity as a graduate assistant. This position put him under the mentorship of Greg Davis. All through his tenor at Texas, the receiving coach worked steadfastly with the offensive line which included All-American Leonard Davis.
He Moved to Sam Houston State University and then Texas State as the Offensive Coordinator
Tom Herman was coaching the Bearkats’ football team of Sam Houston State University in 2004 when they finished 11-3, moving on to the semifinals for Division I-AA championship semifinals. In rank, the Bearkats’ offense emerged in the second position nationwide in passing offense. They averaged 358.5 yards, while their 471 yards of total offense was ranked in the fifth position among Division I-AA schools.
He spent all of four seasons with Sam Houston State and upon the expiration of his time with them, he moved over to Texas State in 2005 to work in another position as the offensive coordinator. Herman would go on to spent a couple of seasons with Texas State during which his team led the Southland Conference in total offense and the scoring rank for their 2005 team came to eighth nationally.
The Bobcats went ahead to make a deep run in the NCAA in their first-ever Division I-AA appearance. On his own part, Barrick Nealy (he is now the Wide Receiver Coach for the San Marcos Baptist Academy in San Marcos, TX) finished fifth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award (top offensive player in Division I-AA).
In Collaboration With Head Coach David Bailiff, Tom Herman Formed the New Coaching Staff at Rice Owls
Head coach David Bailiff from Texas State and Tom Herman joined forces to form the new coaching staff at Rice University. During their time there in 2008, Rice Owls ranked among the Top 10 on a national scale in passing offense (5th; 327.8), scoring offense (T8th; 41.6), and total offense (10th; 472.3). A number of players on the Rice team were really outstanding; a couple of their receivers had above 1,300 yards receiving that year, and James Casey who played as a tight end had 111 catches. Another remarkable performance for the year came from quarterback Chase Clement that emerged as the Conference USA MVP.
He served as Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach At Iowa State
According to the records, Herman succeeded in building one of America’s most prolific offenses during his time at Rice. Thus, when he joined Iowa State as their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the respected coach only needed to install his system, and their offense tremendously improved.
His three seasons with Iowa State saw the team’s offense experiencing a new injection of life and with their skills well-honed, they went on to break several teams and player school records. The team’s 52 points victory over Texas Tech marked the most points ever put up by the Cyclones against a conference opponent in all of 38 years.
Austen Arnaud who played as a quarterback for Iowa State wrapped up his career as the Cyclones No. 2 all-time leading passer sporting 6,777 yards in addition to 42 touchdown passes. The player’s 8,044 yards of total offense became the second-best total in the history of the academic institution. Alexander Robinson, a running back for the team also made waves, finishing his Iowa State career as the Cyclones’ fourth all-time leading rusher sporting 3,309 yards.
Herman Won the Broyles Award At Ohio State
On the 9th of December 2011, Urban Meyer picked Tom Herman as the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Exactly three years later on the 9th of December 2014, the veteran coach was rewarded for his effort as he received the Broyles Award. This happened after he led Ohio State’s fourth-ranked offense to their debut national title since 2002 while playing two backup quarterbacks. The award is a prestigious one, only given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach.
Tom Herman Became the Head Coach at The University of Houston In 2014
Herman later landed the position of the University of Houston’s new coach. This enviable position was made possible after he was hired by the school authorities on the 15th of December 2014. During the 2015 season, the Ohio native he led his 21st-ranked team to an 11–1 start as well as the Western Division title in the American Athletic Conference. They defeated the Temple Owls 24–13 to win their first American Athletic Conference title.
On the New Year’s eve of 2015, the 14th-ranked Cougars were led by Herman to a 38–24 win over the Florida State Seminoles (9th-ranked) at the Peach Bowl. Prior to this major victory, The Cougars had not defeated an AP top-10 team in a bowl game since 1979. At the end of the game, the veteran coach declared that the Cougars had completed their return to national relevancy. They later wrapped up the season 13–1 and ranked No. 8 in both the AP and Coaches Polls; this marked their highest post-season ranking since 1979.
Tom Herman’s second season with the Cougars in 2016 saw them slipping to a 9–3 regular-season record. They recorded a total of nine wins and among them were victories over Louisville and Oklahoma, each of them was ranked #3 in the AP Poll at the time Houston faced them.
For the two seasons that Herman managed the Cougars, their overall record was 22–4. This includes flawless results in home games at TDECU Stadium (14–0) and in games versus teams ranked in the AP Poll (6–0). Another one was in games versus teams from Power Five conferences (5–0). His success with Houston was really widespread that it brought him significant media attention. He equally attracted attention from multiple Power Five football programs all through the season. This later culminated in his next appointment as the head coach of the Texas Longhorns immediately after Houston’s final regular-season contest of 2016.
He Signed On With Texas Longhorns In 2016
Herman landed a new job as the new head coach at Texas on the 27th of November 2016. There, the highly-rated coach inked a five-year contract with a base salary of $5 million annually. Texas would go 7–6 in his first season at the helm; this culminated in a 33–16 win over Missouri in the 2017 Texas Bowl.
During Tom Herman’s second season at the helm, he led his team to a 9–3 regular-season record. This includes a 7–2 record in conference play in addition to a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game, marking the program’s first since 2009. Texas emerged victorious over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, which sealed the first 10-win season for the Longhorns since 2009.
In Herman’s third season with Texas, expectations were rather high for the Longhorns, but Texas ended up posting a 7–5 regular-season record. However, they defeated No. 11-ranked Utah in the 2019 Alamo Bowl by a final score of 38–10, ending the season on a high note. According to reports, Herman has agreed to a new contract through 2023 with Texas worth $13.25M
Tom Herman Started Battling Issues From His Second Season With Texas
From his second season with Texas, Tom Herman’s air of invincibility in his career seemed to have ended. Though the previous season was not easy, he waded into another flop during the second season which is widely regarded as the period when the magic happens. No matter what a team’s past record looks like when a new coach comes in, year two is usually when the culture takes the hook, as all misfits will be were weeded out and the ultimate destination will come into focus, but the reverse seems to be the case with Herman and Texas.
Recently, his coaching career with the team came under the radar as the No. 9 ranked Longhorns fell to an unranked TCU squad. Speculations have run rife whether he will be sacked after the latest embarrassing loss. Longhorns fans obviously put the blame on Herman who has acknowledged that they have every right to be angry as they have not played to expectation.
However, from what is obvious, the Ohio native may not be getting the sack from Texas anytime soon as the university just handed out a two-year contract extension, but he will have to turn the tide around somehow by making big decisions that will arrest the trend – like changing coordinators and overhauling the position coaches against his better judgment. Because from the looks of things, if he fails to make changes at this point, he risks looking like a coach who is content with mediocrity.
Tom Herman And Michelle Had A Rough Time During The Early Days of their Relationship
From what we gathered, Tom Herman is one of those men who stick to their partner through thick and thin. Between him and his college sweetheart turned wife, Michelle Herman, they have really had a rough time of it. At a point in their relationship, the football coach needed Michelle to ride shotgun through besmirched apartments, isolated towns, and uncertain nights. This was at the early stage of their relationship, as Tom was never a silver spoon kid; he had to make ends meet somehow.
The early stages of their marriage were really bumpy, as Herman had to get a job at a roadside firework stand just to earn to a paltry $1,000. And at the time Herman left Texas State to work as a coach at Ricehat time, Michelle lived in a Red Roof Inn, was six months pregnant, and nurturing a 3-year old. However, she has been nothing but supportive of her husband’s efforts. According to reports, there was a time Tom presented her with a set of $4,000 diamond earrings, and she forced him to take them back.
There was also a time Michelle relocated to Austin for a period of nine months but had to move back to LA for a higher paying job as well as to be on hand to plan their wedding. From Los Angeles, Michelle sent money back so Tom could pay rent. According to the famous couch, his wife carried him for a long time.
The Couple Still Had To Contend With Some Difficulties After They Tied The Nuptials In 2001
When they eventually walked down the aisle on the 19th of May 2001, Tom had to return to Texas the next day as he just scored a new job coaching receivers at Sam Houston State for annual pay of $10,000. Subsequently, Michelle left her high paying job at an LA investment firm and apartment in Hermosa Beach to join her husband in Huntsville, Texas. The years between 2001 to 2004 marked the longest the Hermans have lived in one town. During that period, Michelle worked jobs in daycare, bank, a non-profit organization, as a waitress at Humphrey’s, the local college bar, serving muffuletta sandwiches, and at the college of criminal justice.
The couple really had it rough in the early days but all these are behind them now as Tom has risen to the level of a coach that signs deals in millions. The Herman family is now living a lavish life with their three children; two sons named Maverick and Maddock and their only girl, Priya. The Herman family makes huge donations to charity and encourages other privileged people to emulate.
