Hook’em Horns: Herman says he’s ready for pressure of Texas

During the press conference to introduce himself as the head coach at the University of Texas Tom Herman wasted little time letting people know where his recruiting priorities will be.

“I’m thrilled to have Tom Herman joining us as our head football coach”, Men’s Athletics Director Mike Perrin said. Herman also received his Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Texas, and has deep roots in the state having coached at Rice, Sam Houston State, and Texas State in addition to Houston.

That lead the way for Herman to be the next Texas coach. Losing to Kansas in football was seen as unacceptable for the Longhorns.

Strong was let go Saturday morning after three seasons and a 31-9 drubbing on Friday at the hands of TCU.

“We will win championships”, at Texas, Herman said, sounding the key note his new fans want to hear. The coach coined the phrase “H-Town Takeover” in a bid to energize the local fan base and keep Houston-area recruits at home. He now inherits a Texas program laboring to return to the national elite. Among them was junior running back D’Onta Foreman, who rushed for 2,028 yards and is considering turning pro.

Herman started Sunday’s news conference by calling it an “unbelievable opportunity to be a part of the Longhorn family”. Herman by no means is the ideal candidate, but I think his makeup as a coach gives him a good chance at being successful at Texas. Herman hopes to change that.

After 2 highly successful season at UH, Herman accepted the head coaching position at the University of Texas on Saturday. He turned UH into a big victor in his first season and landed serious recruits, like defensive end Ed Oliver and Texas A&M transfer quarterback Kyle Allen. Until 2010, a campus dorm was named after a past leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Fenves and Perrin have been in their jobs less than two years.

“We love that man”, said linebacker and Mesquite Poteet alum Malik Jefferson about Strong. The terms of Herman’s five-year deal with Texas have not yet been released but are expected to be approved by the UT System Board of Regents this week.

That he lasted three years showed remarkable restraint for a school that forced out Mack Brown in 2013, eight years after he won a national title, once the Longhorns came up just short of sharing the Big 12 championship.

As he put his UH staff together prior to arriving at UH, Herman said his offensive line coach was one of the most important spots on the staff. It will also cost the school millions more to get rid of the assistants who had guaranteed contracts, a first at Texas. Applewhite quarterbacked the Longhorns from 1998-2001, but he is mentioned in a pending lawsuit by former Texas track coach Bev Kearney who claims she was unfairly terminated for an inappropriate relationship with a student years earlier. That case is pending before the state Supreme Court.

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein said Herman’s recruiting prowess in the state of Texas will be of great benefit in taking on the Longhorns job.

At Houston, Washington was responsible for helping William Jackson III develop into one of the nation’s top cornerbacks – in 2015, Jackson III broke up 23 passes to lead the nation. Herman says he ready to handle it all.