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Is it time for Texas to move on from Tom Herman? | Yahoo Sports College Podcast

Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel, and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde discuss Texas’ loss to Iowa State, the hot seat that head coach Tom Herman is currently sitting in, and who would be a worthy replacement if the Longhorns decide to move on.

Video Transcript

DAN WETZEL: Texas loses to Iowa State. This is three losses now for the Longhorns. Tom Herman is-- the hot seat is hotter than can be. There is, you know, endless lists of Texas. Nothing better than a Texas list. Texans think they're the only ones with money. That's my favorite thing about Texas. [LAUGHTER] So Texans think they can hire anybody. But do you think-- we'll start with you, Pete-- do you think-- and I'll run through some names. Do you think Tom Herman is done in Texas, or does he get one more year?

PETE THAMEL: I can't stand on the table and say he's definitively done. But I think the trend lines are going that way. And I think a lot of this is going to come down to Chris Del Conte, the athletic director at Texas', ability to back channel and land a coach to replace Tom Herman.

So if Del Conte is savvy, what he will do is basically go and try to line up someone because Tom Herman has not been good enough in Austin, but he has not been completely incompetent. And there is a chance, if you fire Tom Herman and go through some flailing search in a pandemic, you end up with a worse coach. I mean, that is a real option. Tom Herman's 30 and 18. The program is distinctly better than it was under Charlie Strong.

But in Texas standards, it's not good enough. And that's understandable. And Tom Herman's a bright guy. I think, at his core, he understands that he hasn't pushed it far enough after that Sugar Bowl win in 2018. So the obvious name here is Urban Meyer. I don't think Urban Meyer is going to go back to coaching because of the health issues, because he likes his lifestyle right now. But that is the ultimate Chris Del Conte hire. That's easy option one. But if that option isn't available, and I don't think it is right now, option two, three, four, five-- I don't think it's as clear. Pat, what do you think?

PAT FORDE: Oh, I agree with you 100%, that if you can get Urban, and you go get Urban. But if you can't, it gets dicey. And it gets expensive too. And again, Texas is one of these places that, you know, again, we all talk about them having more money than god. Well, they've also furloughed people. They've cut budgets. You know, they have done a lot of things.

And you are talking about getting rid of a guy who has not won like Lincoln Riley and maybe even hasn't-- this year-- won like Matt Campbell. But he has made the program better than what he took it over. But if I were Del Conte, he is a sizzle guy. He is a salesman. And he will want something to sell to the boosters. And if you can't sell it, maybe you don't do it. If you're trying to sell Matt Campbell or-- I don't know who else. I mean, maybe don't to it.

DAN WETZEL: Bill O'Brien.

PAT FORDE: Bill O'Brien, yeah. You know, damaged goods--

PETE THAMEL: Mario Cristobal. O'Brien would be tough in Texas because he is not popular in Houston.

PAT FORDE: Yeah, right, because, I mean, yeah, no, he's very unpopular there. So if you can bring in Urban Meyer, you do it. But if you can't, I'm not sure you pull the trigger.

DAN WETZEL: I agree. Herman doesn't go unless plan B is in the fold. Or else, Chris Del Conte is not Chris Del Conte anymore. Because once you let every booster get in on this search committee--

PAT FORDE: Yeah, no, which is the famous Texas, you know, how many cooks in the kitchen situation, which the coaches you're trying to hire always hate, you know, that that is, like, how many people are calling me? Why are they bothering me? Why do I have to listen to this guy, and that guy, and this other guy? What can't I just talk to you?

DAN WETZEL: And I do think this, too, if he gets Urban to say, look, I'm happy now. But call me in a year. And if you're Texas, you may not know this deal. But you sit there go, all right, we'll ride out another 8 and 4 next year and then let Urban come. That's the prize. Urban's the prize. And to me, Texas and USC are the only two places he would go.

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