Tom Herman signs 5-year contract with UH
Tom Herman on Nov. 30, 2015
HOUSTON - University of Houston head football coach Tom Herman told FOX 26 Sports he signed his five-year contract with the school Friday morning.
The deal will pay him $2.8 million per year.
"Excited as heck,” Herman said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. “Glad that we can put that part behind us.”
Herman had already announced he had reached an agreement in principle with the school, with some work still to be done.
That work has been completed and Herman signed on the dotted line.
"Smiled a little bit and signed away,” Herman said. “Pretty emotional after the season we've had.
“I allowed myself to reflect for about 30 seconds.”
Herman and his Cougars take on Temple on Saturday at TDECU Stadium for the American Athletic Conference Championship and a spot in a New Year’s Day 6 Bowl.
University of Houston Athletics Communications Office
– Houston head coach Tom Herman and Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Hunter Yurachek agreed to terms Friday morning to a contract amendment that will extend Herman’s original contract through the 2020 season (Feb. 28, 2021) while raising the first-year head coach’s annual compensation to $2.8 million.
“My family and I are excited to renew our commitment to the University of Houston Football program. We live in one of the greatest cities, and combined with a Tier One University and with the commitments to our program, it provides a great atmosphere for a championship culture,” said Herman. “We are thrilled, and we are completely focused on tomorrow’s American Championship and representing the City of Houston on the national stage once again.”
In addition to the compensation increase, the amendment shifts the initial contract’s buyout of $2.25 million end date from Feb. 28, 2018 to Feb. 28, 2019, with an increased buyout of $2.5 million for prior to Feb. 28, 2017. The amended agreement calls for the $2.5 million buyout to be reduced by 25 percent if the planned $20 million indoor facility project is not approved by the Board of Regents by Sept. 1, 2016 and the $2.25 million buyout to be reduced by 50 percent if construction of the indoor football practice facility is not at or near completion by Dec. 1, 2017, and reduced by 75 percent if the facility is not at or near completion by Dec. 1, 2018.
“As we’ve said in the past, we want Tom Herman to be the head football coach at the University of Houston well into the future. The Head Football Coach at the University of Houston is a destination position and not a stepping stone, and a successful coach like Coach Herman’s can build and maintain a nationally relevant, championship program in the city of Houston,” said Yurachek. “I personally want to thank President Renu Khator, our Chairman of the Board of Regents Tilman Fertitta and our Board of Regents for their counsel and support throughout this process.”
In his first season at the University of Houston, Herman became just the fifth head coach in NCAA history to win the first 10 games of his career, joining Boise State’s Chris Petersen (2006), Miami’s Larry Coker (2001), Penn’s George Woodruff (1892) and Yale’s Walter Camp (1888) in accomplishing the feat.
Named The American Athletic Conference’s Co-Coach of the Year on Wednesday, Herman has led Houston to its fourth 11-win season in program history and is aiming for just its second 12-win season in program history.
He leads all FBS coaches in their first year with a program with 11 wins as Houston is third nationally with a 91.7 winning percentage at 11-1.
Herman and No. 17/18/19 Houston host No. 20/21/22 Temple this Saturday at 11 a.m. in the inaugural American Athletic Conference Championship at TDECU Stadium.