[Mr KLC]

Tom Herman is close to being named the next coach at LSU, two sources close to the situation told HornsDigest.com Thursday.

So if Texas plans to make a run at the former Longhorns' grad assistant and current Houston head coach, time is running out - if it hasn't already, the sources said.

A third source close to the situation said Herman definitely has an offer from LSU but that they doubted Herman would accept it until he knew what was going on at Texas with the fate of coach Charlie Strong - after Friday's game against TCU.

I was told Thursday (Thanksgiving) that Fenves was supposed to reach out to Herman's agent Trace Armstrong Wednesday night. Still trying to confirm if, in fact, Fenves reached out to Armstrong.

Whether or not anyone from Texas reached out to Herman's camp Wednesday night, the wheels were in motion Thursday for Herman to become the next coach at LSU - with a possible announcement on Saturday, I'm told.
Two sources told HD that on Monday LSU had given Herman a deadline of Wednesday night to respond to a job offer and that Herman/Herman's agent Trace Armstrong were hoping to hear something from Texas - other than from UT intermediaries.

Specifically, I was told, Herman's camp wanted to hear from a Texas decision-maker, such as school president Greg Fenves, athletic director Mike Perrin ... or ... now ... UT chancellor William McRaven, who has injected himself into the process.

But I was told those UT officials were reluctant to do that until Texas' season was over - or perhaps never had the same interest in Herman as a group of influential big-money donors.

Those donors - many of whom wanted to go after Nick Saban three years ago - began expressing interest in Herman last December, when Strong's hire of offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert nearly went sideways and required Fenves and Perrin to take a private jet to Tulsa to close the deal.

http://www.scout.com/college/texas/s...g-in-on-herman

[jjgold]

if you do not have players you do not win

proven every year......Bama proves it yearly

[Mr KLC]

Sounds to me he wants to go to Texas, but unless he can get a straight answer, he'll run to LSU.

[daneblazer]

Strong will stay at Texas another season

[KnockEmDown]

Strong will stay at Texas another season

Well Austin has a great music and contemporary art scene, paid vacation for another year might be in his best interest

[jtoler]

How many more times Eddie gonna get overlooked for a job.

[chico2663]

I would like to see them give carlie another year. One of the greatest coaches in the nfl was almost fired. But they gave chuck another year and history was made.

[BuckyOne]

What about the consideration that it is the possible end of your career if you do not win at LSU or Texas? Will Les Miles or Charlie Strong get a good job again?

LSU - If you lose the first game or go 7-4 next year you would get fired. LSU thinks they are God's gift to football and have a divine right to not lose more than 2 games in any year. Texas, you would have a little more rope - not much.

But, at this point, if you are a blue chip prospect - would you sign with LSU or Texas???

[daneblazer]

What about the consideration that it is the possible end of your career if you do not win at LSU or Texas? Will Les Miles or Charlie Strong get a good job again?

LSU - If you lose the first game or go 7-4 next year you would get fired. LSU thinks they are God's gift to football and have a divine right to not lose more than 2 games in any year. Texas, you would have a little more rope - not much.

But, at this point, if you are a blue chip prospect - would you sign with LSU or Texas???

Lsu is currently ranked 9th in recruiting. Texas 39th. It appears the answer is LSU

[mpaschal34]

He's said his dream job would be Texas. So don't see how he would pass that up.

You would figure he could change recruiting almost instantly.

[Ra77er]

I'm not sure why I'm up but I have to say this

Article may be a smokescreen but why is LSU even calling Herman? What is wrong with Coach O? Give that man the title and let him show what he's got.

Texas OTOH is a perfect fit.
-Beat Oklahoma check
-Offensive guy in the current iteration of the Big12 check
-Can win big games check

The mere mention that Coach Strong who I privately advocated for at the beginning is not getting results. HE LOST TO KANSAS! Unreal and everyone knows Notre Dame stinks this year so that win is irrelevant and looks even worse that it took OT now. He just needs to work with some tools there and get that defensive back end shored up and he can compete. Gary has gone a little Hollywood, Baylor is in a timeout, Oklahoma he already beat, Iowa State was shut down Lazard and win, bottom line the Horns is where he needs to go. It's UT baby

[sweethook]

I said 9 or 10 year ago lsu was crazy ...and they will always miss nic

[Mr KLC]

I think it's time to let Strong go. In this day and age of winning now, they have given him 3 years at the university with the most resources available in the state, and he is fighting to win today just to garner a bowl game invitation. If the team was 8-4, I would say you should let him run his course because the majority of his oldest recruits would be sophomores this year. That's not the case here. He is not showing any signs of raising this team to the next level on the field. With them being the biggest university in a state where football is a major hotbed, there is no excuse for them fighting to be 6-6 this year.

[Mr KLC]

University of Houston athletic director Hunter Yurachek presented football coach Tom Herman with a contract extension earlier this week that includes a "seven-figure increase" in total compensation, a source with knowledge of the situation said.

http://www.chron.com/sports/cougars/...h-10635138.php

[Mr KLC]

He won't stay at Houston. If the Cougars were invited to one of the Big 5, I would think differently, but that's not happening.

[Mr KLC]

After meeting with Charlie Strong on Saturday morning to go over the termination of the final two years of his contract, Texas officials were expected to turn their focus to Houston coach Tom Herman, multiple sources told HornsDigest.com

Any hopes of claiming the kind of progress needed for Strong to return as coach in 2017 faded Friday in Austin after the Longhorns were trounced 31-9 by TCU to finish the season 5-7 with three straight losses. It was Strong's 11th loss by 18 points or more in 37 games and his third straight losing season.

By finishing 6-7 in 2014, 5-7 in 2015 and 5-7 in 2016, Strong's three-year record at Texas was 16-21 (.432).

The focus of Texas' search for a replacement for Strong was expected to include a meeting this weekend with Herman and his agent, Trace Armstrong, possibly as early as Saturday afternoon or evening (after meeting with Strong in the morning), sources told HD.
Herman has been the focus of a group of big-money donors at Texas for nearly a year, dating to the nearly botched hire of offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert last December, when Fenves and Perrin had to take a private jet to Tulsa to close the deal, multiple sources told HD. But it's unclear how Texas chancellor William McRaven, president Greg Fenves and athletic director Mike Perrin feel about Herman until they meet with him, sources said.

One of the big-money donors who has been pushing for Herman to replace Strong told HD Friday night they expected Texas to be able to step in front of LSU and land Herman, because they believe Texas is Herman's "dream job." Herman's Houston team lost its season finale at Memphis 48-44 Friday after the Tigers scored the go-ahead touchdown with 19 seconds left. Herman did not appear at the post-game press conference.

On Thursday, HornsDigest reported LSU was closing in on a deal with Herman but that a source close to Herman said Herman would probably wait to sign anything with LSU until he knew if Texas would be replacing Strong.

Herman's agent - Armstrong - had gotten far enough along in discussions with LSU that the two sides were nearly in agreement on terms in a letter of memorandum, a source close to the situation told HD.

Sources close to the situation said LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron would likely be the frontrunner for the Tigers' head-coaching job if Herman was pulled away by either Texas or Oregon. Sources said Oregon mega-booster Phil Knight met with Herman last weekend and the two really hit it off. Current Ducks' coach Mark Helfrich is 4-7 heading into Saturday's season finale against Oregon State.


http://www.scout.com/college/texas/s...g-to-be-let-go

[Seattle Slew]

LSU to keep Orgeron full time. Big mistake. Nice guy, decent coach, lots of 8-4 seasons. They needed young, dynamic coach. Should have paid Hermann whatever he wanted.

[jjgold]

Players wanted orgeron

That is what it comes down too now

[champlain]

They got frustrated by coaches like Fisher and herman using them to better their own situations. jimbo would be stupid to leave the talent he has amassed and he actually has good quarterbacks on his roster unlike lsu. Herman wanted Texas.

[chico2663]

i'm pretty sure I heard abc say he is going to ut. I liked Charlie when he was at u of l but losing to kansas was unacceptable. I have been rooting for ut since 66. I hope herman turns out to be our next darrell royal

[Ra77er]

I don't know if true or not but I don't believe Charlie had full support there in Texas but even so he still needs to get results on the field. My wife is in a 50/50 situation as a manager yet she doesn't let that stop her from getting results. I'm sure there are plenty on here that have worked in that kind of situation where the top echelons aren't behind you 100%. Texas needs to make sure that even in the future if Herman or whomever is 6-6 or 7-5 that they are going to keep the faith behind him in order to make Texas football great again.

The ups and downs are going to be inevitable, faith always gets tested but the Horns need to get the guy that they want to go to war with no matter what. T-Herm's stock is certainly up although a bit tarnished this season, he plays well in the underdog roll that's for sure. If he goes to UT he needs to make sure he can handle being a favorite, at a minimum the donors should keep that in mind and I'm sure they already are.

Now on the otherside, #33 is devastated and UT needs to make sure that those players understand they love them and that they are only looking out for them. I don't want to see those kids miss a bowl game (sure donors don't either) and I'm sure they loved playing for C-Strong but the school shouldn't just expect whomever they land to bridge that gap alone. Get in there and tell those young men and cheerleaders?!? that the Horn Nation is not going to just fade into oblivion, and every effort is going to be made to help them succeed. Regime change is a necessary evil at times, even though painful.

I have faith that the donors are going to choose the right man for the job.