Regents move to negotiate Herman pay increase to $3 million

The Board of Regents approved a salary increase for head football coach Tom Herman Thursday that, if a new contract is agreed upon, will allow Herman to earn $3 million annually for the remainder of his three-year contract at UH.

Herman would also receive increased performance incentives along the way.

The Cougars are 10-0 this season and undefeated in the American Athletic Conference, with a chance to host the first-ever American Athletic Conference championship game at TDECU Stadium on Dec. 5 should they win out.

Chairman of the Board Tilman Fertitta spoke about the universities belief in Herman in a news release from the University.

“This board is 100 percent committed to Coach Herman,” Fertitta said. “Our actions today reflect our desire to retain him.”

With their success this season, the Cougars have seen an impact both on and off the field.

The team has received a national ranking for the first time since 2011, climbing as high as No. 13 in the AP Top 25 poll and No. 19 in the College Football Playoff poll.

They’ve also seen the success pay dividends in the stands, as the Cougars recently experienced their largest ever crowd at TDECU Stadium — 42,159 attendees — and their first sellout of the season during the game against the University of Memphis Saturday.

Their next home game against the United States Naval Academy sold out almost two weeks in advance of the game, the first ever back-to-back sellout of the stadium in its two-year history.

“Our Tier One University has a nationally relevant football program, and we will keep it that way,” Fertitta said. “We understand the link between academics and athletics. Our actions are designed to help the academic mission by increasing our exposure to the entire country.”

The Cougars hit the road this Saturday to take on the University of Connecticut Huskies in their final away game of the season, with kickoff slated for 2:30 p.m. central time.

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