Tom Herman could follow the career path of Urban Meyer. Or he could be another above average to good coach. History tells us the latter is more likely. Well, history was never my strong suit.
Although he was raised in California, Herman is among the
long list of great college football coaches born in Ohio. Herman polished his boots for eight years at Texas, Texas State, Sam Houston State, and Texas Lutheran before getting his first Division 1 offensive coordinator gig at Rice.
Rice University, 2007-2008
• From 2003 to 2006, Rice’s national scoring average was 52nd
• The year before Herman got to Rice, Todd Graham won 7 games and improved their scoring offense from 80th to 36th.
• In the year before Herman arrived at Rice, Chase Clement threw for 1,700 yards and 21 TDs. In the two years with Herman, he threw for 73 TDs and almost 7,500 yards.
• Tom Herman’s concluded his first year by improving their national scoring offense to 25th. In 2008, Rice’s scoring offense (41.3 PPG) surged to 8th in the country.
• Rice completed only 39% of third downs in 2007. The next year, Rice completed 51%, 7th in the country.
• Rice averaged 78 plays per game during his tenure.
• [URL=” [url]http://www.campusrush.com/tom-herman-houston-cougars-head-coach-education-1336562958.html”]Tom learned a very important lesson at Rice.[/URL] When we move onto Houston, we will see how this shaped his philosophy.
• 2008:
• 6.34 Yards per play – 18th in the country
• 89.5% redzone score percentage - 17th in the country
• 80.7% of those redzone scores were touchdowns – 2nd in the country
• Chase Clement completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 4,119 yards, 44 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He was cut from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2013.
• In 2008, Rice won ten games. Last time that happened Burger King was just getting started, in Miami, FL of all places….
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• Herman helped two players get drafted in the 5th round. Prior to 2009, the last offensive, Rice draftee was in 1994.
• Rice has won ten games one time since Herman’s departure
Takeaways
Although he did not build a sturdy running game à la Ohio State, Tom Herman was superb as an OC. In 2008, the expected value of any passing play was 5.4 yards. On the other hand, the expected value of any running play was 4.1 yards. Therefore, Rice focused on a spread out air assault to move the chains. Herman adapted to his personnel and employed a 57/43 pass-to-run balance. In 2014, Herman and Ohio State ran the ball 63% of the time.
In his third year of coaching quarterbacks, Herman developed Chase Clement into the conference’s best quarterback. Many people want a head coach who can do “more with less.” Well, Tom Herman’s tenure at Rice is in line with what
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcu8fwqQUbM”]Jon Snow did at Castle black.[/url] 40 school records broken. In 2008, there were 30 scoring drives of five plays or less and 31 scoring drives of two minutes or less – all with a UFL quarterback. It was fast. It was fun. That is what Miami needs.
Iowa State, 2009-2011
• Pre-Herman (2006-2008): Poor scoring (20.6) and weak YPP (4.73). Apart of the lower quartile for redzone scoring percentage (75%) and middle of the pack on 3rd downs (39%).
• Three Year Average during his tenure:
• Marginally increased 3rd down conversions to 39.73%.
• Scoring increased to 21.6 PPG
• YPP slightly increased to 4.94
• Gradually increased the number of plays each year: 70 to 71 to 80 (7th in the country)
• In 2010, Iowa State was in the top twenty in offensive turnovers. However, the other two years Iowa State ranked in the bottom thirty in offensive turnovers.
• Averaged 165 yards on the ground. Major improvement from Rice.
Takeway
We did not see the rapid turnaround similar to Rice. Herman is mortal, and Iowa state requires a staff full of Jimmy Johnsons to be successful. The program has a losing record against all BIG12 schools except Kansas State. Additionally, only one coach has left with a winning record since 1960.
Besides the big wins against Ok. State and Nebraska, Herman’s body of work appears very bland at Iowa State. Production was average. And Urban Meyer could not have cared less. You may be thinking, why would Urban want this guy after those three seasons? Well, Tom Herman and his fellow Mensa International members put an inception in Meyer’s dream within a dream within an action flick. Another plausible theory is that Mr. Meyer noticed Herman implemented a smash-mouth spread offense. Herman struck Meyer as a humble, smart man, and Meyer took him under his wing.
Ohio State, 2012-2014
• Herman dominated at Ohio State. Everyone saw their high-octane offense crush defenses for three years straight.
One of my proudest seasons is when we went 12-0 in my first year at Ohio State in 2012. Philosophically, we wanted to be balanced. But we couldn't throw the ball. We had a good line, a beast at tailback in Carlos Hyde and a freak at quarterback in Braxton Miller. It was one of my proudest achievements in coaching. We didn't try to fit a square peg in a round hole. And that's how we're going to approach stuff at Houston. You start with a vision of, "Here's who we are. Here's our beliefs. Here's how we play." What our vision may be is going to be entirely dependent on the players we have.
• 2013 Big Ten Recruiter of the Year
• Won a championship with a third string quarterback
• Attended
Urban Meyer’s Head Coaching Academy for three years. Other alumni include: Dan Mullen, Charlie Strong, Kyle Whittingham, and Steve Addazio.
• Cardale Jones:
• 2014 (with Herman in Big 10 Title Game and CFB Playoff) - 60.9% completions, 9.3 YPA, 7 TD, 2 INT, 160.2 rating, 72 carries, 296 yards, 4.1 YPC
• 2015 (without Herman against far weaker opposition) - 62.1% completions, 8.4 YPA, 8 TD, 5 INT, 141.6 rating, 63 carries, 193 yards, 3.1 YPC
Takeaway
He has dominated as a coordinator. Now can he prove it without Urban’s office next door?
Houston,2015-2015
• Exceeded Vegas’s win over/under in his first nine games (9-0)
• Scored 34 points against Vandy, the 12th best scoring defense
• Scored 34 points against Louisville, the 31st best scoring defense
• Kicked boosters out of first class so his linemen could sit there
• Made the 68 year-old equipment manager, the team, and himself run because the locker room was dirty. Andrew Luck once visited Herman at Rice; the place was a mess. Ever since that day, Herman vowed not to make the same mistake twice. The facilities must be presentable at all times.
• Ohio State is averaging 7 points less without Herman
• Houston is averaging 15 points more with Herman
• Greg Ward:
• 2015 (with Herman) - 164-of-233, 70.4% completions, 2,116 yards, 9.1 YPA, 13 TD, 4 INT, 161.7 rating, 138 carries, 829 yards, 6.0 YPC, 16 rushing TD
2014 (without Herman) - 177-of-263, 67.3% completions, 2,010 yards, 7.6 YPA, 12 TD, 7 INT, 141.2 rating, 118 carries, 573 yards, 4.9 YPC, 6 rushing TD
• Secured a commitment from a 5*
defensive tackle
• Top ten offense and top twenty five defense
• Top ten on third downs & top fifty-five for red zone scoring %
• 1st in turnover margin but 95th in penalties
• Top ten in sacks and interceptions
Takeaway: Why Herman Would Work in Miami
• Develops players
• Understands football concepts very well
• Weapons-grade recruiting ability
• Will change game plan or system based on personnel
• Wants to punch you in the mouth on offense and defense
• Pays close attention to the details – does the little things right
If I were playing Blake James in a movie, this is how I would sell Tom Herman
Everything you want out of a job is at Miami. You can be a college lifer or springboard this opportunity to the NFL. Just ask Jimmy Johnson, Butch Davis, Howard Schnellenberger, or Dennis Erickson. The proximity to talent is unparalleled. The state of Florida had the most players drafted in the 2015 NFL draft. The state of Florida has the most players in the NFL. Two of our top local high schools have produced 16 draft picks since 2012, which is more than 32 states and DC. St. Thomas Aquinas has had 9 NFL draft picks since 2012, which is more than Arkansas, Oregon, Nebraska, & Kentucky. According to USA Football, Miami has produced 31 active NFL players, followed by 20 for Fort Lauderdale, 16 for Atlanta, 14 for Houston, 13 for New Orleans and Dallas. The top two football cities in the country are within 45 minutes of the University of Miami. Furthermore, Palm Beach County has their fair share of NFL players with guys like Vince Wilfork, Boldin, Clive Walford, Janoris Jenkins, Travis Benjamin, Orlando Franklin and so on.
There are roughly 1.1 million high school football players. Texas has the most high school players with 165,000 while California has 102,000. They are the only two states north of the 100,000 mark. Florida has 35,000 while Georgia has 33,000. By contrast, Illinois has 47,000, Ohio has 46,000 and Michigan has 41,000. Other key states are North Carolina (36,000), Pennsylvania (26,000), Alabama (23,000), Louisiana (21,000), and Maryland (15,000). The District of Columbia has 727 players.
PER CAPITA SCORE BASED ON NUMBER OF HS FOOTBALL PLAYERS
• 1. Florida (111.4 score)
• 2. Georgia (90.91)
• 3. Alabama (60.87)
• 4. Maryland (53.3)
• 5. Hawaii (52.6)
• 6. Pennsylvania (34.6)
• 7. Delaware (33.3)
• 8. Oregon (30.8)
• 9. Kansas (28.8)
• 10. Louisiana (28.6)
Here’s how these scores stack up: Florida is the state’s top dog when you consider their 2015 draft numbers compared to the amount of high school players in the Sunshine State with a score of 111.4. Georgia is next with a number of 90.91, followed by Alabama 60.87. Maryland (53.3), Hawaii (52.6), Pennsylvania (34.6), Delaware (33.3), Oregon (30.8), Kansas (28.8) and Louisiana (28.6) to round out the top 10. The District of Columbia had a score of 137.6.
• Our brand is still stout. Our two best players are from California and Tennessee.
• You can win immediately here. Brad Kaaya will be a Heisman contender. David Njoku is the Hulk. Next year our starting dline will consist of three experienced 5 stars and one dominant sophomore DT from Jax.
• Carte blanche. Go out and get the hungriest, most astute assistants in the world. Take the checkbook and run.
• Despite mediocre results the past ten years, Miami has the second most players in the NFL.
• You showed your players a spin-off of The U and The U Part 2; you can come to Miami and do the real thing.
Tom Herman Quotes
Open mindedness
I think I learned a lot from osmosis," he said. "I was at Texas State in 2005. I'd never coached quarterbacks and never called plays a day in my life. David Bailiff hired me and we go 11-3, and Barrick Nealy breaks all kinds of QB records. I grinded. I got my hands on every drill tape I could. I went to clinics. Every brain I could pick, I picked. And I wasn't too proud to ask the kids.
Started from the bottom
I wanted to be a Division I G.A., but I didn't know anybody. I was a Division III kid whose dad wasn't a coach.
Defense
I want great teachers [on defense]. We've got to be great tacklers. I wanted a very sound base defense. I wanted to base out of a 3-4, because I knew it was always a big challenge for me game-planning against teams that were really good out of that. But I wanted to have a guy who knew how to pressure people and knew the strengths and weaknesses of different blitzes. I've gotta tell you, I think I hit a home run in getting Todd Orlando.
Final Thoughts
Tom Herman says all the right things. But so did [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBlyI_l9upI”]Al Golden[/url]. The eye-opening difference is that Tom Herman has backed up his philosophy, motivation tactics, and sound bites with results.
A good portion of the fan base rain dances for Butch Davis’s return. Others bend the knee to the Prince of Terror, Lane Kiffin. Many others believe Mario Cristobal is the one true king of Miami. Nevertheless, we all agree that a new tide, a new winter, is coming. We can either pick the right champion or watch the flames of our program cease to stay lit. Right now we are in worse condition that
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K517YIJKcfw”]Robert on his death bed.[/url] If we mess this hire up, the House of Miami will be destroyed.
Everyone has an opinion on who the guy should be. I want Herman but others will say, “He has only coached one year and it is not a Power 5 conference.” Detractors will plead, “Do we really want another up & comer? We need someone proven. We need someone safe. We need Bu-” And I will say, ”to 7 ***** with that!” Miami never won with being safe. Miami won with innovation, hard work, and taking risks. Herman does all that and more. Herman will be running college football in 5 years; I want him on my sideline, preferably at a new stadium.
When we hired Butch, he had no experience as a head coach. Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson were barely over .500 before the University of Miami. I could go on and on but I have said my peace. My expectation for this program is very simple – dominate!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXUPZxWticg
Sources:
http://www.uhcougars.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/tom_herman_940550.html
Bruce Feldman’s articles on Tom Herman
http://www.sbnation.com/a/college-football-preview-2015/coaches-work-week
Jamie Newberg’s coverage of the NFL Draft
