Has directed offenses and quarterbacks for the past seven seasons at Iowa State, Rice and Texas State
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tom Herman, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Iowa State University the past three years, and before that an offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for record-setting offenses at Rice University, has been named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at The Ohio State University. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer announced the hiring today.
“Tom Herman has one of the bright young minds in college football,” Meyer said. “His philosophies are very similar to those of my own. I spoke to numerous colleagues about Tom and all had great things to say about him. I enjoyed our time together during the interview process and I am excited to have him on the staff.”
Herman’s 2011 Iowa State offense, which he will coach Dec. 30 in the Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers at Yankee Stadium, averages 181.2 rushing yards and 211.7 passing yards per game. The Cyclones put up 44 points in a triple-overtime win over Iowa and tallied 37 in a double-overtime upset of then-undefeated and No. 2 Oklahoma State.
“To work with and for Coach Meyer is an exciting opportunity for me,” Herman said. “I am really looking forward to working with him and learning about his offensive systems. And to be able to coach with him at The Ohio State University is simply a dream come true.”
Herman has 11 years experience as a collegiate coach, including seven seasons as an offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, and 13 when his two seasons – 1999-2000 – as a graduate assistant at Texas are included. He coached four years at Sam Houston State (2001-04), serving as receivers coach and special teams coordinator. He also spent two years at Texas State (2005-06) and two years at Rice (2007-08) as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
While his Texas State offenses led the Southland Conference in total offense each season, his time at Rice was particularly notable. His offenses broke over 40 school records and in his second season the Owls won 10 games and went to a bowl for the first time since 1954.
Furthermore, Rice ranked in the Top 10 nationally in 2008 in passing offense (5th; 327.8), scoring offense (T8th; 41.6) and total offense (10th; 472.3). Two Rice receivers had more than 1,300 yards receiving that year, tight end James Casey had 111 catches and quarterback Chase Clement was the Conference USA MVP.
Herman was born in Cincinnati and still has family there, although he was raised in Simi Valley, Calif. He played collegiately at California Lutheran, graduating in 1997 with a degree in business administration. He has a master’s in education from the Universisty of Texas.
Herman and his wife, Michelle, have a daughter, Priya, and a son, Maddock.
Want to read EVERY Buckeyes football article on the web in one spot? Sign up at ChatBuckeyes.com
Back to the Ohio State Buckeyes Newsfeed