This is the third in a series of profiles of potential candidates for Indiana’s vacant football head coaching position.
Candidate: Tom Herman
Age: 48
Current Position/Tenure: Head coach at Florida Atlantic, former Texas and Houston head coach
Record as Head Coach: 58-30
Previous Jobs
| Year | Program | Position | Record | Conference Standing |
Bowls | National Rank Coaches/AP |
| 1998 | Texas Lutheran | Wide Receivers | 4-6 | |||
| 1999 | Texas | Graduate Assistant | 9-5 | |||
| 2000 | Texas | Graduate Assistant | 8-4 | |||
| 2001 | Sam Houston | Wide Receivers/Special Teams | 10-3 | Playoffs | FCS Quarterfinalist | |
| 2002 | Sam Houston | Wide Receivers/Special Teams | 4-7 | |||
| 2003 | Sam Houston | Wide Receivers/Special Teams | 2-9 | |||
| 2004 | Sam Houston | Wide Receivers/Special Teams | 11-3 | Playoffs | FCS Semifinalist | |
| 2005 | Texas State | Offensive Coordinator/QBs | 11-3 | Playoffs | FCS Semifinalist | |
| 2006 | Texas State | Offensive Coordinator/QBs | 5-6 | |||
| 2007 | Rice | Offensive Coordinator/QBs | 3-9 | |||
| 2008 | Rice | Offensive Coordinator/QBs | 10-3 | 1st C-USA | W, Texas Bowl | |
| 2009 | Iowa State | Offensive Coordinator/QBs | 7-6 | W, Insight Bowl | ||
| 2010 | Iowa State | Offensive Coordinator/QBs | 5-7 | |||
| 2011 | Iowa State | Offensive Coordinator/QBs | 6-7 | L, Pinstripe | ||
| 2012 | Ohio State | Offensive Coordinator/QBs | 13-0 | |||
| 2013 | Ohio State | Offensive Coordinator/QBs | 12-2 | L, Orange Bowl | ||
| 2014 | Ohio State | Offensive Coordinator/QBs | 15-1 | W Sugar Bowl/CFP | National Champions | |
| Head Coach | ||||||
| 2015 | Houston | Head Coach | 13-1 | T-1st (West) | W, Peach | 8/8 |
| 2016 | Houston | Head Coach | 9-3 | T-3rd (West) | *Las Vegas | |
| 2017 | Texas | Head Coach | 7-6 | T-4th | W, Texas | |
| 2018 | Texas | Head Coach | 10-4 | 2nd | W, Sugar | 9/9 |
| 2019 | Texas | Head Coach | 8-5 | T-3rd | W, Alamo | NA/25 |
| 2020 | Texas | Head Coach | 7-3 | 3rd | W, Alamo | 20/19 |
| 2021 | Chicago Bears | Offensive Analyst | ||||
| 2022 | CBSSN | Television Analyst |
Notable Facts and Numbers
Herman’s 25-15 record through his first three years at Texas was the second-best improvement by a UT head coach during his first three years, after the Longhorns went 16-21 under Charlie Strong in the three years before his arrival.
He’s done some strong work with quarterbacks over the last decade, particularly during his three years at Ohio State, which culminated in a national championship. He Herman’s work with J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones in that title season earned him the Broyles Award. The quarterback success continued at Houston with Greg Ward Jr., and at Texas with Sam Ehlinger.
Herman recruited well at Texas, with three top-10 classes per 247Sports Composite.
His Texas offenses averaged 435.04 yards and 34.06 points per game across his four seasons in Austin. During his 26 games as Houston head coach, the Cougars averaged 472.62 yards and 39.31 points per game.
Why It Might Work
Herman, like Paul Chryst, has experience running a Power Five program with tangible success doing so. Herman was fired by Texas after four seasons with four bowl wins, including one New Year’s Six game. The Longhorns had bigger ambitions, but that level of success would more than satisfy the Hoosiers. Herman’s offensive mind and quarterback coaching ability could be the thing to spark a program turnaround in Bloomington.
Why It Might Not Work / Not Happen
Herman’s FAU team lost four straight down the stretch this year to stumble to a 4-8 record. Still, with his track record of success in previous stops, he may be in consideration for other jobs, and it’s always a question whether an in-demand candidate would choose IU over another gig. Also, Herman’s major head coaching experience came before the rise of the transfer portal and NIL in college athletics, so the landscape looks a lot different now.
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