Here’s how it went down, per USA Today:
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Those same people, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity, said Herman’s mind changed after South Carolina lost to The Citadel on Nov. 21 and it became clear the next coach would have a massive rebuilding job on his hands. Herman decided to stay at Houston for a deal worth nearly $3 million per year and, presumably, wait for a more high-profile situation.
The Citadel loss was definitely an ugly mark on the season for South Carolina. Not only did the Gamecocks lose to an FCS opponent, but they lost at home. Usually when an SEC team schedules an FCS opponent, it’s to get an easy win the record and pad some stats. Losing isn’t supposed to be an option.
Herman realized that maybe he was stepping into something that was going to be too much to handle, and decided to stay at Houston where he’s been successful.