JUST MY TYPE

TOM HERMAN

TEXAS HAS 'IM

After going 22--4 in two seasons as Houston's football coach, the 41-year-old signed a five-year, $25 million contract with Texas—a decent raise from his graduate assistant days in Austin.

DAN PATRICK:Congratulations. Where are you right now?

TOM HERMAN: I'm at my new office in Austin, getting ready to hit the road for recruiting.

DP:When did you agree to take the Texas job?

TH: At, like, four in the morning on Saturday [Nov. 26].

DP:Why four in the morning?

TH: I got a phone call when we landed [the night before from Friday's 48--44 loss to Memphis], and they said that some people from Texas wanted to meet with me. The meeting didn't start until 10:30 at night, and it took that long to figure something out.

DP:Was your wife [Michelle] awake?

TH: She was on the phone [with me] as we were talking [in the meeting]. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to make any decision like that without calling her and making sure she's good.

DP:You told a reporter before the Memphis game not to believe reports you were leaving Houston. Were you being sincere?

TH: Yeah, I was. All of the reports before the game were inaccurate. I was not lying. I felt very comfortable saying that.

DP:Did LSU reach out to you?

TH: Not to skirt the question, but I don't know if how we got here [at Texas] is relevant. What's really relevant is that we're here now. I'm great with the team at Houston. I never once lied to them. Those are the people I needed to make my peace with. I've gotten numerous phone calls and texts, all positive, from my former players, boosters and administrators at Houston. I've moved on. I think it's smart for everybody else to too.

DP:Did you have to sell yourself to Texas, or was it the other way around?

TH: A little bit of both. I wanted to know their vision for Texas football and if it aligned with mine.

DP:How do you sell Texas [to recruits] after a down couple of seasons?

TH: We're the flagship university for the greatest football-playing state in our country. We've won multiple national championships. To sell it to recruits is easy.

DP:What are you doing with your Houston gear?

TH: Whenever I change jobs, I usually try to give it to fans that I've become close with.

DP:Why don't you have a tag sale?

TH: When I was a [grad assistant] and left Texas back in 2000, I had one because I needed the money.

DP:How much did you make as a GA?

TH: I made $400 a month. My wife was working back in Los Angeles. She would send me money to help me pay rent.

DP:You've made that much money since we started talking.

TH:[Laughs.] I haven't done the math, but that's pretty impressive.

GUEST SHOTS

SAY WHAT?

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