Texas’ Tom Herman owes COVID his job, unlike Auburn’s Gus Malzahn
There is money, and then there is football.
While SEC schools issue multi-million dollar buyout checks like PPE loans, the Big 12’s most profitable athletic department protects its Venmo account.
Texas just showed what it values most, and as a result demonstrated why there is such a wide gap between the Big 12 and the SEC.
Even as COVID crashed the entire 2020 college football season, three SEC schools didn’t use it as an excuse and fired their respective coaches regardless of the cost of doing so.
On Nov. 15, South Carolina fired Will Muschamp, and ate his $13.2 million buyout.
Two weeks later, Vanderbilt fired Derek Mason, and because Vandy is a private school his buyout figure is not for public record. But since he had multiple years remaining on his deal, and given the going D1 rate, we can assume his buyout would also have to be in the millions.
And then on Sunday, Auburn fired Gus Malzahn, which only costs $21.45 million.
The moral of the story? Don’t lose to Texas A&M. (The Aggies whipped all three in ‘20.)
On Saturday, Texas pledged their love of Tom Herman. The only reason Texas retained Tom Herman is money.
One day before Malzahn was fired, Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte issued a public statement and told Brian Davis and Kirk Bohls of the Austin-American Statesman Herman would be back in 2021.
To buyout Herman would require a $15 million check. According to Davis and Bohls, to change out the rest of the staff would mean an additional $10 million.
CDC may like Herman and believe in him, but after openly flirting with former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer the faith is not only cracked, but gone.
You’re not looking at another coach because you believe in the one you have. Herman knows that.
CDC looked at the ledger and decided to buyout Herman in this COVID climate is not only bad on the bottom line, but on the morale of the entire University of Texas system.
Because of COVID, UT has issued furloughs and made cutbacks to school employees. On Sept. 1, 2020, the UT athletic department announced 35 staff members were laid off, and 35 additional vacant positions would be permanently cut.
An additional 273 staff members received temporary pay cuts, and 11 staffers were furloughed with benefits.
Even though the University of Texas athletic department does not require public funds, the timing to flush approximately $25 million for a man other than an Urban Meyer-caliber coach was not worth it.
But there will be consequences.
Herman will be coaching for his job in 2021, while he’s breaking in a quarterback who has never played. And he has to sell recruits who have the internet.
He will, however, be aided by a 2021 non-conference schedule that features Rice, Louisiana but has a road game at Arkansas on Sept. 11. If UT can’t win in Arkansas, CDC will not have to make the decision.
While Herman hangs on in Austin, 851 miles to the east Auburn will replace a head coach it hired to replace the guy who won a national title in 2010, Gene Chizik.
Malzahn led Auburn to the national title game in the 2013 season, and had the lead with 1:19 remaining in the game against Florida State.
But Florida State had Jameis Winston, and scored a touchdown with 13 seconds remaining to win 34-31.
Malzahn had the impossibility of coaching in the same state against the best coach in the modern era. Malzahn was never going to conquer Mt. Saban in Tuscaloosa.
Regardless, even in an COVID year, Auburn doesn’t care. The same for South Carolina.
Hell, even Vanderbilt didn’t care.
Because there is football, and then there is money.
This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
