Tom Herman, who collected head coaching paychecks from Texas, Houston, and Florida Atlantic across seven seasons, is joining Florida State's coaching staff before the 2026 season. The hire was reported Monday by On3 and Warchant's Matt LaSerre. Herman did not coach in 2025, the first gap in his résumé since he left Iowa State's offensive coordinator role in 2014.
The move reunites Herman with a Power Four program after his Florida Atlantic tenure ended following the 2023 season. At Texas, he went 32-18 across four seasons (2017-2020) before a $15.4 million buyout. At Houston, he was 22-4 in two years (2015-2016), including a Peach Bowl win over Florida State. At FAU, he went 6-16 in two seasons, a rare backslide for a coach who built his reputation turning Houston into a New Year's Six program.
Florida State is betting Herman can translate coordinator-level problem-solving without the CEO burden. The Seminoles finished 2-10 in 2024, their worst season since 1974, and head coach Mike Norvell is 35-28 in five years despite a 13-1 2023 College Football Playoff snub. Herman's hire signals Norvell is adding experienced voices who have built offensive infrastructure at the Group of Five level and managed roster churn at the Power Four level. Herman's 2015 Houston offense ranked 15th nationally in scoring; his 2018 Texas offense ranked 48th, a spread that tells the entire story of his head coaching arc.
The timing matters for two reasons. First, the ACC is navigating media rights litigation with Florida State and Clemson, with trial dates set for April 2025 in North Carolina. Herman joins a staff operating under revenue uncertainty and potential conference realignment that could reshape Florida State's annual operating budget by $20-30 million depending on exit terms. Second, the 2026 recruiting class will be Herman's first full cycle to influence, and Florida State currently ranks 23rd nationally in the 2026 class per On3. Herman's Texas classes averaged 9th nationally; his ability to close South Florida and Texas pipelines is the practical reason he is on the staff.
Nirvana scenario: Herman takes offensive coordinator responsibilities, Florida State returns to 8-4 or better in 2025, and Herman becomes a credible head coach candidate again by 2027. Risk scenario: Herman is a glorified analyst without play-calling authority, Florida State underperforms again, and Norvell's seat warms alongside his new hire. The structure of Herman's role—title, salary, recruiting territory—has not been disclosed, which suggests it is either still being negotiated or deliberately vague to avoid binding Norvell to a public coordinator succession plan.
Watch for Herman's official title announcement within two weeks, which will clarify whether he has play-calling duties or offensive coordinator designation. Watch also for Florida State's January recruiting weekend, where Herman's presence in living rooms will signal how Norvell intends to deploy him. The ACC spring meetings in May will clarify revenue projections, which govern how much Norvell can pay assistants in 2026 and whether Florida State can compete with SEC budgets if realignment accelerates.
Herman's agent did not return calls Monday. Norvell has not commented publicly. The silence is the tell: Herman needed the job, Florida State needed the résumé, and both are waiting to see if the other can still deliver what the market once valued.
The takeaway
Herman's hire is infrastructure, not salvation—Norvell is adding coordinator depth ahead of revenue uncertainty and 2026 roster rebuild.
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