Culture / Real Estate / Mansions / Sporting Life

Tom Herman Trades His Bellaire House for a $6 Million Austin Super Mansion: Former UH Coach Embraces Lording Over the Longhorn Money Kingdom

BY // 09.26.17

Tom Herman lived in a very nice house when he coached the University of Houston’s football team. But it wasn’t a showy house — and it certainly didn’t produce any feelings of envy from the city’s River Oaks elite. In fact, Herman’s house blended into its Bellaire neighborhood — and wasn’t even the biggest house on the block.

At the time, my family rented a house a short walk from Herman that definitely wasn’t anything close to a million dollar home — and it was months before almost anyone in the neighborhood close to Bellaire High School even realized UH’s coach lived there.

But if Herman went relatively low key and subdued in Houston, he’s gone full blown college football king in Austin.

The University of Texas’ first-year coach/program savior bought a new $6 million showpiece mansion in the tony suburb of Westlake, which Thrillist once infamously dubbed one of America’s “Most Obnoxiously Rich Suburbs.” Herman’s new digs measure in at 10,000 square feet and back up to a nature preserve.

The mansion provides sweeping views of Austin — and a pool big enough to host the entire Texas football team (it did just that in a memorable late July preseason party). A Horns-affiliated site even posted a video from the epic pool party. Call it an unofficial bonus recruiting pitch? (You too could swim with Tom Herman! As long as you’re a five-star prospect.)

We joke because it’s fun (and perhaps telling in some way) to see how quickly Herman’s embraced his status as college football royalty. The Rock Star Coach now has a true rock star contract (Herman makes $5.25 million in base salary this season and bonuses could boost his total yearly compensation over $6 million).

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He needs a kingdom worthy of this new status — and near doubling of his final UH salary. Herman and his wife Michelle found it in a 75-acre gated community called Scenic View. Jauregui Architecture Interiors Construction built their Mediterranean-style manse that comes with its own kids wing and a large game room.

Tom Herman’s new Austin mansion is a tucked away stunner.

The couple has a teenage daughter, two young sons — and one of college football’s more affectionate coach-wife relationships. Michelle Herman could be seen waiting for hours in the TDECU Stadium lobby for Herman to finish his postgame obligations some nights at UH just to spend time with him (many college football wives simply go home in similar situations). And some of Michelle Herman’s Twitter takedowns of Herman’s critics are already legendary.

Michelle Herman’s Unwavering Support

The Hermans struggled for years financially as Tom Herman fought his way up from low-paying graduate assistant and entry level coaching positions. Michelle worked multiple jobs for years — and often sent money to her then-future husband to help him pay the rent when they weren’t living in the same city.

Now that they’re the first couple of Texas football, Tom and Michelle Herman have a sprawling retreat from it all. The Hermans sold their more modest 5221 Pine Street Bellaire home for nearly $1.8 million. This is what you call moving on up in the world of big-time college football.

Tom Herman is certainly adapting.

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