The Cougars will face a tough test this coming Saturday when they host the Temple Owls. | File photo/The Cougar
Amid rumors of a move on head coach Tom Herman’s part and a principle agreement to a new contract to stay in Houston, Herman squashed rumors in his weekly press conference.
Herman said that when rumors are reported as facts, like when multiple outlets reported that he was considering moving to University of Georgia, he gets fired up.
“Speculation is speculation,” Herman said. “Go ahead and speculate all you want and waste your brain cells; I’m good. But when you report something (as) is fact that isn’t true, then that is really the first and only time that I address the team.”
Herman said after the South Carolina rumor came out, he told the team that whatever truth needs to be told will come from his mouth.
“I have never lied to them in the 12 months that I have been here, and I don’t plan on it,” Herman said. “I don’t ever want to have to go back on something that I say.”
Herman said contracts take twists and turns, but he doesn’t anticipate that happening.
“We are working out the details of a contract,” Herman said. “I don’t want to speak on any specifics, because those aren’t worked out yet, but we are moving in the right direction and have agreed in principle on the generalities of what is next.”
Temple
Houston will face Temple University for the American Athletic Conference Championship Saturday at 11 a.m.
The last time Houston won a conference championship was in 2006 when it won the Conference USA title.
Herman said the AAC is head and shoulders the best non-Power Five conference in America and a win is a big deal.
“You win our conference, you’re going to a New Year’s Day bowl game, period,” Herman said. “That’s a pretty good season, but we’ve got to take care of the conference championship part for that to happen.”
Herman said his message to his team this week was “finish.”
“Our goal wasn’t to be 11-1, our goal wasn’t to be 12-0, our goal wasn’t to be the West Division Champions,” Herman said. “Our goal was to win the conference, and we are that close.”
Herman recalled the team starting out badly against Memphis but playing like gangbusters against Navy, and he told the team it was because of a differences in confidence in those games.
“(Against Navy) you guys were confident in the game plan, you were confident in your teammates and how they prepared,” Herman said. “But most importantly you were confident in the preparation that you had throughout the week.”
