UH System Board of Regents Approves Raising Coach Herman's Contract to $3M

Board Chair and UH President Will Negotiate Terms of Increase

The University of Houston System Board of Regents voted Thursday to negotiate an amendment to the contract of head football coach Tom Herman, raising his annual salary to $3 million and increasing  performance incentives.

The motion was made by UH System Chairman Tilman Fertitta at the quarterly board meeting and was unanimously approved by the nine-member board.

“This board is 100 percent committed to Coach Herman, and our actions today reflect our desire to retain him,” Fertitta said.  Funding for the increase will come from donors and auxiliary revenue, Fertitta said, and no state appropriations will be used.  “The board will help raise these funds and much of it has already been raised,” he added. 

Under first-year Coach Herman’s direction, the UH football team has enjoyed an unbeaten season thus far, posting a 10-0 record and being nationally ranked as high as No. 13 in the polls.  Attendance at home games at TDECU Stadium has increased significantly.  Herman came to national prominence as the offensive coordinator for last year’s national champion team of Ohio State before accepting the head coach position – his first – at UH this season. 

Under his current contract, Herman earns $1.35 million in base and non-salary compensation annually.

Explaining the motion for a salary increase, Fertitta said, “Our Tier One University has a nationally relevant football program, and we will keep it that way.  We have seen how students respond to a nationally competitive football program.  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 motion specifies that both Chair Fertitta and Renu Khator, UH System chancellor and UH president, have been delegated authority to negotiate and execute the contract amendment.