College football’s coaching carousel will be an interesting one to watch this offseason.
While many Power Five programs are unwilling to make a major change during this season of uncertainty, the outcome is inevitable for some. 247Sports recently dove deep into the latest rumblings of potential changes on the horizon.
Several coaches on the hot seat should come as no surprise — such as Les Miles at Kansas and Will Muschamp at South Carolina — due to their poor overall records. However, Texas head coach Tom Herman appeared on the list due to the failure of living up to championship-level expectations each year.
To put it simply, Herman is consistent at being inconsistent. He’s fielding an undisciplined squad that suffers an unexplainable loss or two to unranked teams each year.
Herman has done well on the recruiting trail throughout his tenure at Texas but has nothing to show for it. There’s clearly a player development issue in Austin that must be addressed immediately. Texas has the No. 5 most talented roster in the country yet somehow struggles with lesser quality conference opponents.
According to 247Sports, defeating No. 6 Oklahoma State on the road wasn’t enough to save Herman’s job in Austin.
“Remember, this is a team expected to be in the Big 12 title game this season, and while that may happen, anything short of a trip to the championship will put his job in jeopardy. Fans and big-time boosters are not happy. Tom Herman’s lone 10-win season in 2018 was supposed to be the sign of things to come, especially with Sam Ehlinger at quarterback, but the Longhorns have instead fell short of expectations. That’s not acceptable at Texas, where the money flows even during economic turmoil across the globe.”
“Herman’s buyout is $15.4 million, a price tag boosters will help pay to get rid of the coach if he finishes with four or more losses this season. Failing to win the Big 12, particularly when rival Oklahoma is winning it every year, is bad enough. Falling short of winning the title (and losing head-to-head) in a “down” year for the Sooners when you have what many thought would be a Heisman candidate in Ehlinger? That’s enough to make a change at the top.”
Out of all the potential vacancies approaching on 247Sports’ coaching carousel, Texas’ job was the only position that offered a candidate. Former Ohio State and Florida coach Urban Meyer appears to be the dream scenario for the Longhorns if Herman is indeed let go.
Would Meyer be interested in returning to coaching? That’s yet to be seen. However, there couldn’t be a more attractive option than Texas. This program has it all — tradition, their own television network, new facilities, a great location in Austin and the best high school football in the country in their state.
Meyer will likely demand a large salary, but that’s a price tag that Texas would be willing to pay in order to consistently compete for championships. A proven, well-respected coach would certainly stop the bleeding from Texas’ recruiting department right now.
Due to the Longhorns underwhelming play this season, a five-star recruit and two four-star recruits that were originally committed to Texas have chosen to open up their recruitment.
Billy Bowman, who shortly committed to Oklahoma after backing away from Texas, stated “I wanted to be closer to home, be around coaches who know what they are doing, and be around a championship program.”
It appears the Tom Herman ship has sailed for the time being.