Houston coach Tom Herman has agreed to a contract extension that will more than double his salary and keep him with the Cougars, the school announced Friday.
Herman and the school agreed to extend his contract through the 2020 season and increase his salary to $2.8 million annually. The first-year coach's original contract was scheduled to expire in 2019 and paid him a $1.35 million annual base salary.
"My family and I are excited to renew our commitment to the University of Houston Football program," Herman said.
In November, Houston's board of regents approved a raise to a $3 million annual base salary, but Herman accepted $2.8 million to allow the $200,000 difference to go into the salary pool for his assistant coaches.
Herman was one of the hottest names in coaching circles this offseason as Power 5 head-coaching jobs opened up, and he has led the No. 19 Cougars to an 11-1 record and a berth in the American Athletic Conference championship game, where the Cougars will face the No. 22 Temple Owls on Saturday at TDECU Stadium in Houston (noon ET, ABC). The winner will likely earn the Group of 5's automatic New Year's Six bowl bid.
The new contract for the former Ohio State offensive coordinator, who won the 2014 Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant, includes a $2.5 million buyout if Herman leaves before Feb. 28, 2017. The buyout can be reduced by 25 percent if the board of regents doesn't approve construction of an indoor practice facility by Sept. 1, 2016.
"The head football coach at the University of Houston is a destination position and not a stepping stone, and a successful coach like Coach Herman's can build and maintain a nationally relevant, championship program in the city of Houston," said Hunter Yurachek, the school's vice president for athletics.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.