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Tom Herman will stay at Houston, signs new 5-year deal

The Cougars get it done.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Herman has signed a new five-year deal worth about $2.8 million annually to stay at Houston, sources confirm to SB Nation’s Steven Godfrey. The news was first reported by SI’s Thayer Evans. The Cougars were able to stave off advances from South Carolina, Missouri, Georgia and others.

Herman is 11-1 with Houston and will play for an AAC title, plus a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl, against Temple on Saturday. A UH star player said Herman “killed the South Carolina thing” and will wait until after the title game for any potential moves.

Herman is one year removed from being an offensive coordinator at Ohio State, where he was instrumental in the Buckeyes’ championship run in 2014, and he landed his first head coaching job at Houston before he even won the trophy. He wasted no time in creating a culture similar to that of the Buckeyes and had immediate success using similar strategies.

Herman’s attention to detail is key to how he runs his program, as shown by his interview with Steven Godfrey.

I think to the credit of the senior staff now, they really get it. In the city of Houston, you never know when a five-star recruit could walk in the door. The American Athletic Conference won’t like me saying this, but my new mantra is, what if Bob Bowlsby stopped by, or Mike Slive? Would we be ready, would we be proud? At that point, it’s too late to clean the carpets.

At 40 years old, Herman has already recorded an impressive coaching career. He’s been an offensive coordinator and quarterback coach since 2005 for four different programs, including Texas State, Rice, Iowa State and Ohio State. He joined Urban Meyer’s staff in 2012, and the Buckeyes went undefeated in his inaugural season.

In 2014, Herman was in the spotlight when he coached two backup quarterbacks to a national championship and Heisman talks. Herman earned the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach for making sure his offense worked no matter who was under center.

Herman’s offenses have always been electric, and his players often go on to win offensive awards and postseason respect. His other coaching stops include Texas Lutheran, Texas and Sam Houston State, following his college career as a wide receiver at California Lutheran.

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