Tom Herman meets media for first time as Texas football head coach

By Steve Lansdale

AUSTIN, Texas — The Longhorns got their man.

Tom Herman, the 30^th football head coach in University of Texas history, met the media Sunday for the first time in his new role. He briefly thanked his former employer, the University of Houston, before declaring that by moving to Austin, he and his family “are home, and I can’t wait to get started.”

“The University of Texas is a place, a special place, that deservedly holds a seat among college football elite,” Herman said. “We will win championships. We will build men of character. We will graduate our players, and we will do it all with integrity and with class. As we do it all together, this is not about one coach. This is not about one season or one team. This is about honoring all of those who have worn the burnt orange and white and who support this great university.”

Herman, who was hired Saturday just hours after former coach Charlie Strong was fired, quickly [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]extended an invitation to former UT players and high school coaches throughout the state to visit, saying his “door is always open.”

“I would also like to take this time to let all of the former players and members of the team association to know the door is always open,” he said. “They have built Texas football into what it is today, and I want them to know you are always welcome.

“I also want the high school coaches of the great state of Texas to know that this is their football program. We’re the flagship university of the best high school football playing state in America. And I want to continue to do a great job of recruiting our fine student-athletes produced by Texas high school football coaches.”

UT president Greg Fenves said Herman’s choices for assistant coaches will have to be approved, but he will be allowed to choose the candidates for consideration.

“In terms of the coach’s staff, I view, and I know (men’s athletic director) Mike (Perrin) views, that the head coach is the CEO of the football program, has responsibility and great latitude in putting a staff together, and we will be looking at his staff recommendations,” Fenves said. “Ultimately, any contracts have to be approved by the board of regents.”

Perrin said that once he met Friday with Herman, it became clear that he had located his top choice to take over the UT program.

“Tom Herman was our choice after meeting with him that night, and very, very impressed with everything he did to get to this point in his career,” Perrin said. “So he’s the clear choice. Coach Herman has a proven record of success where he’s been. We talked about philosophies of offense, defense, kicking, training, all that sort of thing, and I believe he’s got the background and experience to take this team to places where I would like for it to be.”

When asked the same question, Herman took a more modest stance, deferring much of the credit for his success to those with whom he has worked.

“I think I’m the right guy because I surround myself with great people,” Herman said. “We wouldn’t be able to do the things that we’ve done at the University of Houston without a great staff, and by that I mean, the nine assistants, the strength staff, the support staff, and everybody around our program builds us up.

I think you win with people. To steal a line from Woody Hayes, you win with people, and I think people are extremely important in what we do in terms of our family. And then I think that goes a little bit further too into recruiting. I think I’ve recruited this state for 20-some-odd years.”

Every coach knows that a major part of the job is talent acquisition, and Herman made it clear he intends to recruit hard within the state of Texas. He also said he has not yet had a chance to visit with UT running back D’Onta Foreman to get a sense of whether Foreman will be returning next season.

“It’s important to me the great players in this great state of Texas understand that we’re going to do everything we can to keep them home too,” he said. “So I think that’s really important. About D’Onta, I have not had a chance to talk to him. I plan on doing so very shortly, and hopefully by tomorrow morning, have a chance to speak with him and figure out what his intentions are.”

Herman made no bold predictions, other than to express to his new employers and those in attendance at his introductory press conference that under his stewardship, the Texas football program again would be source of major pride to Longhorns everywhere.

“I am truly honored and humbled to be the next head coach of the University of Texas,” he said. “You have my word that I will work every day to be a program that you are proud of. Thank you, again, President Fenves and Mike, for the opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you for coming out today to support me and this program.”

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