Tom Herman takes less to enhance staff salaries

HOUSTON - University of Houston coach Tom Herman could have made an additional $1 million with his new contract, but he wanted to make sure he could take care of his assistant coaches as well.

He signed a five-year contract that pays him $2.8 million per season.

The University of Houston Board of Regents recently approved raising Herman's base salary from $1.35 million to $3 million.

Hunter Yurachek, UH vice president for intercollegiate athletics, says Herman chose to move $200,000 a year from his contract to the pool of money allocated for his assistant coaches.

"He put together a first-class, top-quality coaching staff, and he wants to make sure that he has the resources to retain that coaching staff because they're a big part of our success as a football program," Yurachek said.

"It was important to him that he put $200,000 (per year) aside so that he could take care of his coaching staff and retain his coaching staff.  That came off the top of his salary. That's why the original offer of $3 million is now $2.8 million."

Herman still has a real opportunity to push his annual salary within his amended deal to $3 million stemming from bonus clause in his contract.

If the Cougars beat Temple in the American Athletic Conference championship game on Saturday, and earn a spot in a New Year's Six Bowl Game, Herman's annual salary during the life of the contract will be upgraded to $3 million.

Had Herman not moved any money to the assistant coaches pool and beat Temple his contract would have paid him $3.2 million annually.