Ohio State quarterbacks coach Tom Herman will be the next head coach at Houston, according to a report Monday morning. Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports was the first to report the news of the Houston coaching hire, via Twitter.
Herman got his coaching career started in the state of texas as a wide receivers coach at Texas Lutheran University, After one year he accepted a position on the coaching staff at Texas as a graduate assistant. He then made stops at Sam Houston State, Texas State and Rice before three seasons with Iowa State and the past three years at Ohio State as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Herman was named this year’s Broyles Award winner, recognizing him as the nation’s top assistant coach.
Herman became a very hot name in the rising coaching carousel this season after molding J.T. Barrett into a potential Heisman candidate as Ohio State made its push for the College Football Playoff. Herman’s best work may have come with preparing Cardale Jones to lead the Buckeyes offense in the Big Ten championship game after a Barrett went down with an injury the previous week against Michigan.
Herman will take over a Houston program coming off a 7-5 regular season. He replaces Tony Levine, who had coached the Cougars for three seasons after Kevin Sumlin took over at Texas A&M. The Cougars are coming off two straight winning seasons as a member of the American Athletic Conference, going 15-10 in the past two years before this season’s bowl game. Houston’s decision to move on from Levine was somewhat of a surprise, but Herman will be given a chance to make Houston a true contender in the AAC rather quickly. What he does with John O’Korn will be one thing to keep a close eye on.