Tom Herman, who previously served as head coach at Houston, Texas, and Florida Atlantic, is reportedly joining Florida State’s coaching staff in a role that has not yet been publicly defined, according to several media outlets reporting Monday.
Herman, age 51, was once considered one of college football’s brightest up-and-coming coaches. He earned the Broyles Award — an honor given annually to the top assistant coach in college football — while serving as offensive coordinator at Ohio State during the Buckeyes’ 2014 national championship run.
His head coaching career got off to a strong start at Houston, where he posted a 22-4 record over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. That included a 13-1 debut season that ended with a Peach Bowl victory over Florida State. He then departed for Texas ahead of the 2017 campaign, but was let go after four seasons with a 32-18 overall record and only one year in which the team won more than eight games.
After his time at Texas, Herman took on an offensive analyst role with the Chicago Bears in 2021. He returned to college football in 2023 as head coach at Florida Atlantic, but was dismissed following two disappointing seasons that produced just a 6-16 record.
Herman is now set to join a Florida State program that is looking to rebound in 2026. Head coach Mike Norvell is under significant scrutiny after the Seminoles went a combined 7-17 over the past two seasons — a steep drop following a perfect regular season in 2023 that nonetheless saw the team excluded from the College Football Playoff.
