Houston head coach Tom Herman has signed a five-year contract to remain the Cougars head coach, according to Houston's team website. Herman's annual compensation is now $2.8 million per year. The contract reportedly includes program improvements and facility remodels, according to Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman.
"My family and I are excited to renew our commitment to the University of Houston Football program. We live in one of the greatest cities, and combined with a Tier One University and with commitments to our program, it provides a great atmosphere for championship culture," said Herman, via Houston's website. "We are thrilled, and we are completely focused on tomorrow's American Championship and representing the city of Houston on the national stage once again."
Herman won the American Athletic Conference co-coach of the year award on Wednesday after the Cougars posted an 11-1 overall record. Herman shared the award with Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo, in a year where the AAC had four programs with nine-plus wins.
Herman was one of the hottest coaching candidates across the college football landscape, and after beating Navy 52-31 this past Saturday, Houston likely felt that they needed to lock him up. The Cougars face Temple in the AAC Championship game this Saturday, and Herman can finish conference play with an 8-1 record in his first year as head coach.
Herman was an offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Ohio State prior to Houston, and he has clearly brought his winning pedigree with him. The Cougars look to have a bright future ahead of them, and with quarterback Greg Ward Jr. only in his junior season, the Cougars could have a big year in 2016. The AAC has clearly become a more dominant college football conference over the past year, and with the return of Herman to Houston, this conference could be competitive for quite some time.
