Houston’s Tom Herman leaving for Texas

Texas has made the decision to part ways with Charlie Strong after three years as the Longhorns head coach.

And the quick search was by design.

Herman’s desire to take the Texas job has been one of the sport’s worst-kept secrets.

“We love that man”, said linebacker and Mesquite Poteet alum Malik Jefferson about Strong. The Cougars had a puncher’s chance at spot in this season’s College Football Playoff, but disappointing losses to Navy, SMU and most recently, Memphis, doused those aspirations. In 2 seasons he lead the Cougars to a 22-4 record and a Peach Bowl victory over Florida State. “We will win championships and do it with class”. “He’s been a double digit underdog three times in two years at Houston and has won all three of those games outright (twice over Louisville and once over Oklahoma)”.

“If you thought H-Town Takeover was big, just wait until Tom gets to Austin”, a Big 12 assistant said.

“I have recruited this state for 20-some odd years”.

Herman had been the hottest name on the college coaching market, and had always been rumored as a replacement for Charlie Strong should he falter. “We’re the flagship university of the best high school football-playing state in America. I am impressed with his insights on college sports, football and academic success, and his philosophy of developing the student-athlete into a complete person”. Herman comes to UT from the University of Houston.

“In his short time in Houston, Tom Herman elevated the Houston Football program to new heights, and we are grateful for his contributions to our program”, athletic director Hunter Yurachek said in the statement. “I want to make sure they understand we’re business as usual”. “I think he does”.

Herman has his work cut out for him in his first offseason. Well, for starters, it is a far more attractive job today than it was three years ago thanks to the recruiting and roster-building efforts of Charlie Strong and his staff.

The Cougars acknowledged Herman’s departure in a statement.

That loss prompted Strong to demote his offensive coordinator the following week.

Herman’s defensive coordinator at Houston, Todd Orlando is interim Head Coach and will interview for the head coach position along with offensive coordinator and former UT player and assistant Major Applewhite. “He showed me when he was in Ohio State that he was not only a very good coach, but a dynamite recruiter”. Houston receivers coach Darrell Wyatt, running backs coach Kenith Pope and other support staff remain a possibility but couldn’t be confirmed. He even goes as far as kissing them on the cheek before games. And to our beloved players – relationships extend well beyond the football field.

“They just hit the reset button on the all of the recruiting wars in Texas”.

“I’ll miss the opportunity to lead this program going forward, but I’m ready to accept my next challenge”, Strong said. “This is going to be a very hard program, especially at first”. He really earned their respect and their trust.

“I mean I was pretty happy about it”. Herman promised to win championships.

“I think pressure is that uneasy feeling that you feel when you’re unprepared”, he said. “Pressure is self-inflicted. Pressure is self-doubt when you’re unprepared”. In November 2014, the Longhorns were 6-5 and already qualified for a bowl when he promised a five-loss season will “never happen again”.

“A honest thank you to the University of Houston players, fans, alumni and administration”, Herman wrote. “I was told when I came in three years ago to build a program”.

He ended his post by directly speaking to his players.

Herman was regularly mentioned as a possible candidate at several schools, notably LSU. “We are prepared for this job. So I don’t feel any sense of pressure at all”.