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Florida Atlantic Set to Name Tom Herman as Head Coach

The former Houston and Texas head coach is set to join Florida Atlantic after two seasons away from coaching.

Texas Tech v Texas Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

As first reported by Brett McMurphy of Action Network, former Texas and Houston head coach Tom Herman is set to become the head coach at Florida Atlantic.

The 47-year-old Herman served as Houston head coach in 2015 and 2016, leading the Cougars to a Peach Bowl victory and finishing the ‘15 season ranked eighth in the nation. He amassed a 22-4 record before taking over at Texas in 2017.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - Florida State v Houston
Herman guided the Cougars to an upset of Florida State in the 2015 Peach Bowl.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

His tenure with the Longhorns lasted four seasons (2017-2020) and despite four bowl victories and a 10-win campaign in 2018, Herman was dismissed following the Alamo Bowl in 2020.

Florida Atlantic relieved Willie Taggart of his duties as head coach following last Saturday’s season-ending loss to Western Kentucky that knocked the Owls out of bowl contention. Taggart’s three-year stay in Boca was largely a disappointment, guiding the team to a 15-18 record from 2020-2022 and one bowl appearance in a COVID-shortened 2020 season.

FAU turns to Herman in an effort to recapture the success the program had under Lane Kiffin, when the Owls won Conference USA twice in his three-year stint. Known as an offensive specialist, Herman’s offenses at Houston averaged over 38 points per game during his time with the Cougars.

Additionally, several coaches who were on the Owls’ 2022 staff have worked under or with Herman previously. Offensive line coach Ed Warriner was co-Offensive Coordinator with Herman at Ohio State in 2013 and defensive coordinator Todd Orlando served in the same role at Texas under Herman.

Following his dismissal at Texas, he served as an analyst for the Chicago Bears for a short period in 2021 and was a color commentor for CBS Sports’ Conference USA coverage in 2022.

Herman arrives in Boca as the Owls are leaving for the American Athletic Conference, where they’ll start play in 2023 and look to stand out amongst as one of six C-USA programs who are joining the league, including UTSA and North Texas, both of whom are playing for a C-USA title on Saturday.