Tom Herman reflects on time as color commentator: 'It was a fun challenge'

Tom Herman might be a broadcaster or color commentator one day when his coaching career is done. But the FAU coach missed the itch.

Although he had a great experience in the booth during his time away from the sidelines. But he feels right at home in Boca Raton coaching the Owls.

Joining Andy Staples On3, Herman reflected on his time as a color commentator for college football games.

“It was a fun challenge,” Herman said. “If you’ve ever done it, play-by-play guy is the easy part right? Takes the snap, hands off to Jones, Jones up the middle for four, tackled by Johnson, right? (And then I say,) ‘Well, Mike Johnson’s coming off two straight years of ACL reconstruction. He comes from a family of 10.’ And you’ve got to get to the three sides of the ball of two different teams in less than a week.

“And so that’s hard. And it was a fun challenge. I just missed the players, the day to day interaction, to have any impact on guys the way we did with Cardale Jones and the list goes on.” 

Herman simply wasn’t ready to be a full-time broadcaster and leave coaching. Not only that, he noticed something about the TV side of football.

“I wasn’t ready. I still had enough in me to be around and those guys,” Herman said. “I think (broadcasting) is something I could maybe do to kill time when I hang up the whistle. But one thing that stood out I think your listeners and viewers should know like the one thing that stood out to me as a coach was my very first game, we were in the pre production meeting in the truck and it’s SMU versus North Texas right? But there’s still this big truck and it amazes me that even a game like that would warrant this cost of all these trucks and equipment. 

“And then was when we had the pre production meeting with the producer and to break us down … He says have a great show. This is a reality television show you know, for millions and millions of people and that’s what our lives are.”

It was like an epiphany for Herman when he heard that line. He wanted to be in reality and not broadcast “reality” TV like he put it.

“When he said have a good show, I was like, no, these guys are going out there bleeding, sweating, crying, putting their bodies on the line and we’re making a show, you know, and it was interesting to hear it or see that side of it for sure,” Herman said.