Herman preliminary deal means #HTownTakeover should last at least one more year

Photo by Justin Armstrong The fear was realized. Then, the fear was quickly extinguished. First-year head coach Tom Herman announced to the media on Monday that he and Houston agreed to a preliminary deal that will keep the hot-shot coach in Houston for the immediate future. There are still details to iron out on both sides, but the news Monday means the #HTownTakeover will last longer than one season. It is the life of a non-P5 program. A new, up-and-coming mind leaves a coordinator position to take his first head coaching job at a stepping-stone program just to move on to greener pastures. And by greener, I mean the color of money. Houston is no stranger to this cycle. The Cougars were the launching pads for two of the state’s highest paid coaches – Art Briles and Kevin Sumlin. With so many coaching openings this fall around the state, many figured Herman, who led Houston to an 11-1 record and a division title in his first year at the helm – would jump ship for a job at Georgia or LSU or USC or even Texas. USC hired from within. LSU came to its senses and kept Les Miles and it looks like the Longhorns are, rightfully, giving Charlie Strong at least one more year to turn around the Texas football program. If Georgia isn’t breaking the bank to bring in Herman, he is smart to wait for a better job to come along. The coaching ranks are littered with coaches who jumped too quickly at P5 jobs instead of waiting for the right P5 job to come along. Herman is showing another trait of success: Patience. One of the teams with an opening would have hired Herman, but he’s smart enough to realize Houston is as good, if not better, of a job as Virginia or South Carolina. Herman gets to recruit Texas and make his mark in a state that values football more than any in the country. Herman won’t be at Houston forever. A job he can’t pass up will eventually be offered. Texas and Texas A&M enter important 2016 seasons for the future of both head coaches. Maybe Herman is playing the long game and waiting for one of those jobs to come calling. Maybe he’s simply happy in Houston. Maybe he isn’t quite ready to compete for national titles. Either way, Houston breathes easier this week entering the AAC Championship game against Temple.