Georgia football: Head coach mistakes the Bulldogs avoided in 2015

Georgia football 2015 head coach candidate: Tom Herman, Houston Cougars

In 2015, Tom Herman was considered a rising star in college football. He became a household name in 2014 while serving as the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He coached a top-five offense with the Buckeyes and helped them win the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship, despite having to start third-string quarterback Cardale Jones in the playoff games.

He was hired by Houston in 2015 and led the Cougars to a 13-1 season, winning the AAC Championship and the Peach Bowl against Florida State. A report from 24/7 Sports stated that Herman was interested in the Georgia job, even though it seemed that Herman’s dream job was Texas.

Ultimately, Herman would end up in Austin in 2017, where he went 32-18 in four seasons and won all four of his bowl games. His most memorable season came in 2018, as the Longhorns won 10 games and the Sugar Bowl against Georgia.

Contrary to what Sam Ehlinger said at the end of that Sugar Bowl, however, Texas was not back, and ultimately Herman was fired at the end of the 2020 season. While 32 wins in four years is solid, it wasn’t good enough for a place like Texas, which has been desperately trying to become a national powerhouse again for over a decade.

After a couple of years away from college coaching, Herman was hired by Florida Atlantic in December.