Tom Herman is heading back to college football, and his next stop will put him on an ACC sideline.
The former Texas head coach is joining Florida State’s staff for the 2026 season, according to reports Monday from On3. It’s a notable move for a Seminoles program coming off a second straight losing season under Mike Norvell, and Florida State is clearly betting that an experienced voice like Herman can help steady things as it tries to climb back toward its usual standard.
Herman spent four seasons leading Texas, finishing 32-18 with a spotless 4-0 record in bowl games. His Longhorns also won the 2019 Sugar Bowl before the program moved on in 2021 and turned to Steve Sarkisian. Since then, Texas has moved into a different tier under Sarkisian, while Herman has worked his way through a series of stops that included the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic, an offensive analyst role with the Chicago Bears and a media position with CBS Sports Network.
At Florida State, Herman will reunite with former Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner, who transferred there this offseason after three years in Austin. Given Herman’s background on the offensive side of the ball, he could wind up working closely with Wisner this fall.
The Seminoles also brought in a batch of transfers, including offensive linemen Xavier Chaplin from Auburn and Chimdia Nwaiwu from Stephen F. Austin, quarterback Asthon Daniels from Auburn, running back Gemari Sands from FAU and others.
Herman’s Texas tenure had its share of memorable moments, but the expectations in Austin were not always met the way the program wanted. Even so, his time there left a deep imprint on the roster-building side. He signed some of the strongest recruiting classes in school history, and many of the players Sarkisian inherited came through Herman’s efforts.
Among the names he brought to Texas were Bijan Robinson, DeMarvion Overshown, Joseph Ossai, Keondre Coburn, Alfred Collins, Jahdae Barron and Roschon Johnson.
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