Fourth-year football coach Tom Herman reportedly had contact with South Carolina’s AD for the job vacancy. But it probably doesn’t mean much.
The recent report that appeared on the “Paul Finebaum Show” earlier this week, that there was contact between South Carolina Gamecocks athletic director and fourth-year football coach Tom Herman, did not draw much attention at Forty Acres . After Texas athletic director Chris del Conte announced that the football program was planning to keep Herman on track for 2021, most of the interest in any coach search died.
The dangerous situation at Herman came to a head when rumors emerged that the Longhorns were chasing former Ohio State Buckeyes and Florida Gators, three-time National Championship winner head coach Urban Meyer. The legendary newly retired coach and current analyst at Fox College Football ended up deciding to retire in 2021 instead of accepting the position in Texas.
Losing a possible home run location in Meyer probably caused the Longhorns not to seek out any additional candidates at this time. There was really no home run rental that the Longhorns could do besides Meyer. And given the huge takeover of Herman and his technical team that would need to take place to part with him for the next off season, it didn’t seem worthwhile for the Texas administration to continue the search for someone else.
Furthermore, it is a little unexpected that Herman is looking for another job. South Carolina filled its vacancy as head coach with former Oklahoma Sooners assistant and the son of legendary Virginia Tech Hokies coach Frank Beamer, Shane Beamer earlier this month.
Herman’s own contact with another AD for work in South Carolina may be a sign of his mentality at Forty Acres. But in all likelihood, it was just a contact from South Carolina’s AD doing their due diligence, since they made a quick contract with Beamer.
South Carolina split from ex-Texas defensive coordinator and now ex-fifth-year coach Will Muschamp in the early fall. Hiring Herman would be an interesting move for them, but it looks like he was at least a consideration in their search.
Again, this does not necessarily mean that Herman is looking for any avenue outside the Forty Acres that he can find. But that signals the possibility that there may be other factors at play in the next off-season that change the coach’s situation for the Longhorns.
The change may not come from Herman himself, but there may be other changes in this team to help move this program forward, going into the fifth year of its head coach. Texas did a major overhaul of the team last season, but any pieces that remain (such as offensive line coach / co-offensive coordinator Herb Hand) may be leaving next season if Herman and CDC want more changes.
Texas ended the regular season of 2019 with a record of 6-3 (5-3 Big 12), after its scheduled final against the Kansas Jayhaws on the road on December 12 was canceled due to new coronavirus-related problems. The last game in Texas resulted in the dismantling of the Kansas State Wildcats by 69-31 on December 5.