Photo via AP
There is one football narrative many Longhorn observers expected to follow Tom Herman this offseason.
The hot seat.
Texas finished 8-5 last season, which was a small step back from the 10-win season in 2018. Herman decided to make massive staff changes after last season, which included replacing both coordinators. When a head coach replaces coordinators, that usually means he/she is usually the next to go if the team does not improve right away. Many Longhorn observers believe 2020 is a do-or-die season for Herman. I have heard many fans and reporters discuss the magical amount of wins it would take for Herman to retain his job after the upcoming season. Some point to at least eight wins. Others think Texas needs to appear in the Big 12 Championship Game. Regardless, there is a belief Herman could be gone after this season.
However, it seemingly would take a reboot of the 2016 season, including Kansas 2.0, for Herman to lose his job after this year.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte has gone all chips in on Herman.
Del Conte has publicly expressed his support for Herman numerous times. However, some Longhorn observers believe Del Conte was just expressing what needed to be said in front of reporters. They thought once Del Conte was away from the recorders, he would sit down with Herman like a mob boss and demand a Big 12 Championship this season or risk finding a horse’s head in his bed.
Instead, I recently learned Del Conte took the opposite approach to Don Corleone .
According to my sources, Del Conte has double-downed in his support of Herman this offseason. Del Conte decided to spend more of the athletic department's money this year to help Herman obtain the coaches he desired. In addition, Texas moved away from one-year deals for assistant coaches, and every current Longhorn football coach is on a multi-year deal.
I do not have the contractual details at this moment (waiting for it to be submitted to the Board of Regents for approval), but here is what you need to know:
--- Texas offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and special team coordinator Jay Boulwere signed three-year deals to join the Longhorns, according to my sources. Texas defensive coordinator Chris Ash signed a two-year deal to receive the max payout from his Rutgers buyout.
--- I learned Longhorn running backs coach Stan Drayton received a raise and a two-year contract to remain in Austin. Again, I do not have Drayton’s current salary numbers, but his base was $515,000 in 2019, and his earnings will definitely increase in 2020 and 2021.
--- Texas offensive line coach Herb Hand is going to receive a raise. He earned $650,000 last season.
--- Texas defensive line coach Oscar Giles received a two-year deal. He earned $390,000 in 2019, and is slated to earn the same in 2020 and 2021, according to my sources.
--- The new assistants received two-year deals. That means there is not a single football coach with only one year remaining on his contract in 2020. Last year, all of Herman’s position coaches received one-year deals. Here is what they earned: Stan Drayton - $515,000, Craig Naivar - $490,000, Oscar Giles - $390,000, Derek Warehime - $390,000, Drew Mehringer - $340,000, Jason Washington - $310,000, and Corby Meekins - $290,000. The salaries for Herman’s new assistants will at least match those numbers. More than likely, the new salaries will be higher.
Del Conte gave Herman an extension after the 2019 season, and he is reportedly owed $22.75 million from 2021 until 2023. However, Herman’s buyout is $5 million for every season remaining on his contract, meaning it would cost $15 million to remove him after 2020.
That means in order to part ways with Herman after this season, it could easily take around $25 million to pay off every current Longhorn football coach (the buyouts for assistants could be at least $9 million).
Now, add in at least $25 million (conservative number) to hire a new staff. That means it would take around $50 million to make changes after this season.
If Del Conte parts ways with Texas men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart after this season, add in another $9 million out of the door. Del Conte would need to spend around $60 million (rough guesstimate) of the athletic budget on salaries in 2020.
Oh, Texas women’s basketball coach Karen Aston is earning $770,000 and on the final year of her contract. Del Conte will need to renew her or find another coach.
Is it starting to add up – in more ways than one?
Del Conte is one heck of a fundraiser, but he would need to sell a lot of candy bars in front of Walgreens to raise that kind of money.
Basically, it would take an epic failure for Herman not to be around past the 2020 season.
Del Conte has been very consistent in his public support for Herman. After the regular season finale against Texas Tech, Del Conte answered questions from a small group of reporters, including myself, about Herman’s future. Some Longhorn skeptics believed Del Conte was providing lip service. Clearly, he was speaking the truth.
Q: When do you expect to sit down with Tom and see what he thinks?
Del Conte: "We got a bowl game. We got a long of things to work on. I mean, gosh damn, hey, we just got done winning a game, right? So, again at the end of the day what we just got done winning a football game. Seniors went out on top, and I think at the end of the day, our expectation at the beginning of the year is we probably will be in a different position, but we are who we are. We're in great position. When I look at totality of the program. Guys, I told you this before. This has been a tumultuous six or seven years. Three chancellors, two presidents, four ADs, three football coaches, two basketball and baseball coaches, and yet, this is the first time we've had three back-to-back winning seasons. So, at the end of the day, I see light at the end of the tunnel. I try to keep myself out of the swarm, but more importantly, look at the bigger picture. There's a lot of good things to see here.
Q: You wouldn't categorize this as a disappointing season?
Del Conte: “I wouldn't categorize. Anytime you have a winning season [pause] ... we are all disappointed because of expectations. We all have great expectations. At the beginning of the year, everybody thinks you're going to go undefeated, and win a national championship. So, anything short of that, you're going to be disappointed. There's so many things that have went right and went wrong throughout the year, but that's what happens. I don't think that anything's characterized more than we're all disappointed in the fact that we thought we were going to have a [better] year, but I'm also very fired up for our seniors, as far as how they've played today. The foundation they've laid. If you step back, not in the storm we went [7-5]. We went 10-4. We're at 7-5 right now. We're in a situation where we lost a lot [of players from last year's team]. When is the last time we had three [consecutive] winning seasons? When is the last time we had back-to-back bowl game wins? When is the last time we had two senior classes go out on top here? Think about that, guys. As much as we want to write about its doomsday, there have been so many great things happen.”
I have said this before, but it is harder to get fired from a government job than by Del Conte.
If you look at Del Conte’s tenure at TCU, he fired men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson in 2016. However, it took an 8-64 record in Big 12 play (50-79 overall) after four seasons for Del Conte to pull the trigger. Outside of that, Del Conte is more loyal and protective to his coaches than a German Shepherd.
When it comes to Herman, Del Conte’s loyalty is understandable.
Herman’s record at Texas is 25-15 (.625 winning percentage). He inherited a program that endured three consecutive losing seasons, and was not bowl eligible in back-to-back years. Texas has finished with a winning record in the past three seasons under Herman. In addition, Texas has won three straight bowl games under Herman’s guidance. That is the longest Longhorn postseason winning streak since Mack Brown won five straight bowl games between 2004 and 2008.
Obviously, the goal at Texas is to compete annually for a Big 12 championship. Clearly, Del Conte believes Herman can get it done.
It is time for Longhorn observers to step away from the hot seat narrative this year.
Del Conte has gone all chips in on Herman.
Photo via HookEm.com
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1. There was a small chance Herman would hire his final position coach prior to signing day, but that option appears to be off the table. According to my sources, Herman intends to keep Bryan Carrington, Texas’ director of recruiting, on the road this week to solidify this year’s class. After signing day concludes, Herman will hire a second defensive line coach. From what I can tell, the hiring of that position coach will occur pretty quickly after signing day. The person Herman brings in will not be a “sexy” hire since it is not easy to find an assistant coach who wants to share duties. However, time will determine what kind of impact the hire has this year.
2. I checked in with UT this week and asked for an official list of players who redshirted in 2019. Here is what was provided to me:
• WR Parker Alford
• OL Michael Balis
• QB Ben Ballard
• DL Patrick Bayouth
• RB Derrian Brown
• DB Marques Caldwell
• LB Jake Ehlinger
• LB David Gbenda
• TE Nathan Hatter
• OL Isaiah Hookfin
• OL Tyler Johnson
• WR Kennedy Lewis
• TE Brayden Liebrock
• DB Myles Mass
• WR Joshua Moore
• DL Peter Mpagi
• DB Josh Thompson
• LB Marcus Tillman Jr.
• OL Willie Tyler
• DL Myron Warren
• DB Kenyatta Watson II
• RB Jordan Whittington
• DB Doak Wilson
• OL Chad Wolf
3. If you need further proof of Del Conte fully supports Herman, just look at the recent schedule additions of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, UTSA, and Wyoming. When Herman arrived at Texas, Maryland and USC were non-conference opponents in back-to-back seasons. Texas was one of only a few schools to face 11 Power Five programs in one season, and Herman voiced his displeasure with the previous scheduling approach. Del Conte listened, and Texas will have one premier non-conference opponents sandwiched between Division I teams in the future.
4. I appreciate Alex Dunlap’s reporting from the Senior Bowl, and found the Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay updates interesting. Since both guys will be drafted in April, I wondered who was the last receiver from Texas to hear his name called by an NFL team. I was surprised to learn it was Marquise Goodwin, a third-round pick by Buffalo in 2013. When former Texas offensive lineman Connor Williams was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 50th overall pick in the second of the 2018 NFL Draft, he became the first Longhorn offensive lineman drafted since Tony Hills in 2008. It looks like Herman is about to end another unflattering Longhorn streak.
5. Baylor’s hiring of Larry Fedora means five staff members from 2019 landed coordinator positions after last season. Tim Beck (North Carolina State), Drew Mehringer (Florida Atlantic), Todd Orlando (USC), Derek Warehime (New Mexico) and Fedora (Baylor) are now coordinators. I did not see that coming.
6. Longhorn football fans, please refrain from saying it this offseason. When Baker Mayfield went to the NFL, many thought Texas might have an easier time with Kyler Murray. After Murray, Longhorn fans believed life would be easier with Jalen Hurts. Now that Hurts is gone, I know some of you will point to Spencer Rattler’s inexperience as the reason why Texas has the advantage this year. Do me a favor? Just tell yourself that Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley is the Albert Einstein of quarterback development until proven otherwise. Yes, I know. OU sucks. Unfortunately, Longhorn fans, Riley does not.
7. Speaking of OU, am I the only one surprised that D’Eriq King did not end up in Norman? It is just further proof that nobody in the Big 12 better underestimate Rattler.
8. Your favorite moment from Todd Orlando’s tenure at Texas Tech?
9. This is how you work an official. No screaming. No insults. Just stating the facts. Every coach should take notes.
10. Sometimes I question my love of boxing
