Texas rewards Tom Herman with two-year contract extension

The Texas Longhorns had their first 10-win season in quite a while last year, and head coach Tom Herman has been rewarded with a contract extension.

After the football program’s most successful season in a decade, the University of Texas System Regents have approved a two-year contract extension for head coach Tom Herman. The new deal keeps Herman under contract through 2023, and will pay him $6.5 million in 2022 and $6.75 million in 2023.

With a 10-4 record last year, the Longhorns reached the 10-win mark for the first time since going 13-1 under Mack Brown in 2009. They also reached the Big 12 Championship Game last year, and finished the season with a win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

In two seasons at Texas, Herman is 17-10 with two bowl wins. Prior to that, he was 22-4 over two season as head coach at Houston, highlighted by a 13-1 record in 2015 capped by a win over Florida State in the Peach Bowl. Before that, Herman was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Ohio State (2012-2014), Iowa State (2009-2011) and Rice (2007-2008).

On the news of his contract extension, Herman issued a statement.

"I’m so grateful for President [Greg] Fenves, [athletic director] Chris Del Conte and the UT Board of Regents, and for all the support they provide me, my family and our football program. I truly love being the head football coach at Texas. I’m enjoying every minute of it, am so fortunate to have a tremendous staff, and the players in our program are just awesome to work with."

Coincidentally or not, Texas has a home-and-home series scheduled with Alabama in 2022 and 2023. The plan is pretty clearly to be legitimately competing on the same level as the Crimson Tide nationally by that point, and Herman will be the Longhorns’ coach barring something unforeseen.

The Longhorns will open the 2019 season at home against Louisiana Tech on Aug. 31.