Reports: USC’s loss to The Citadel scared off Tom Herman

South Carolina’s loss to The Citadel scared off Houston coach Tom Herman, according to reports, because he feared the Gamecocks’ rebuilding job was too big.

Houston coach Tom Herman was long considered to be the frontrunner to replace Steve Spurrier as the Gamecocks head football coach. And, according to USA Today, talks had progressed to the point that USC officials thought they had their man.

Herman decided to stay at Houston for a deal of almost $3 million per year. Many assumed Herman decided to wait for a more high-profile situation, presumably at Texas or Texas A&M, where Charlie Strong and Kevin Sumlin have been under fire.

South Carolina wound up hiring former Florida head coach Will Muschamp. But not before talks with Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, who picked Georgia, and Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, who turned down an offer he did not view as legitimate, according to USA Today and other reports.

Muschamp, who had the endorsement of Spurrier, was favored by USC president Harris Pastides, whose comfort level was bolstered by the endorsement of high-level administrators in the SEC office, according to USA Today.