Report: Tom Herman set to join Florida State’s football coaching staff ahead of the 2026 season

Florida State’s football program is reportedly adding Tom Herman to its coaching staff ahead of the 2026 season, according to a report from Yahoo Sports that cited work by On3 and Warchant’s Matt LaSerre. The move is notable because Herman has prior experience as a head coach at multiple major programs, including stints at Texas and Houston, and he returns to Division I coaching after a gap following his departure from FAU.

Herman’s last head coaching job ended in the 2024 season. Yahoo Sports reports that he was fired from Florida Atlantic with two games left in that year, and that he did not coach during the 2025-26 college football season. That timeline frames the reported Florida State hiring as a restart for a coach trying to re-enter the college game at a high-profile destination rather than returning immediately to another head coaching job.

Florida State, for its part, is in the normal offseason phase where programs reshape support staffs, coordinators, and position coaching plans to fit a new recruiting and development cycle. While the Yahoo Sports report, as reflected in the provided description, does not specify Herman’s exact title on the Seminoles’ staff, the fact that his name is being placed inside the 2026 staffing conversation suggests Florida State is comfortable assigning meaningful responsibilities to a coach with a track record of running major offensive systems.

The bigger context is how Herman’s prior resume has been built. At Texas, Houston, and Florida Atlantic, he was positioned as a program architect, charged with recruiting at scale and building teams designed to compete in conference play. Those experiences often translate into strong recruiting networks and a defined approach to offense and game planning, even when a coach does not immediately return to head-coaching duties.

Because this hiring is reported rather than officially confirmed in the information available here, some specifics remain uncertain. The most important open questions are what role Herman will fill, which unit(s) he will oversee, and how Florida State’s existing coaching hierarchy is expected to adapt around him for the 2026 season.

If Herman’s addition is confirmed, the effect to watch is how quickly Florida State can integrate a coach with Herman’s background into its recruiting board and on-field development. That includes how the Seminoles position their recruiting priorities for 2026, especially on the offensive side, and whether Herman’s presence changes the coaching emphasis for quarterback play, pass game design, or overall offensive identity.

For now, the report sets the stage, but the next step should be official confirmation from Florida State or Herman’s agent-led communications, along with clarification of his exact responsibilities on the staff. Until that happens, the hiring should be treated as an early offseason development rather than a fully settled staffing reality.