in Business Administration from California Lutheran University in 1997, where he was a Presidential Scholarship recipient and cum laude graduate.

He then took a position in 1999 at the University of Texas at Austin as a graduate assistant under the mentorship of Greg Davis.

[3] During his tenure at Texas, Herman worked with the offensive line, which included All-American Leonard Davis.

During his two seasons at Texas State his squad led the Southland Conference in total offense and the 2005 team ranked eighth nationally in scoring.

Running back Alexander Robinson finished his Iowa State career as the Cyclones' fourth all-time leading rusher with 3,309 yards.

[7] On December 9, 2011, Urban Meyer selected Herman as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Buckeyes.

In the 2015 season, he led his 21st-ranked team to an 11–1 start and the Western Division title in the American Athletic Conference.

[11] On December 31, 2015, Herman led the 14th-ranked Cougars to a 38–24 victory over the 9th-ranked Florida State Seminoles at the Peach Bowl.

Among their nine wins were victories over Oklahoma and Louisville, each of which was ranked #3 in the AP Poll at the time Houston faced them.

Herman's success with Houston brought him significant attention from the media and from multiple Power Five football programs throughout the season, which culminated in his appointment as the head coach of the Texas Longhorns immediately following Houston's final regular-season contest of 2016.

11-ranked Utah in the 2019 Alamo Bowl by a final score of 38–10 to end the season on a high note.

In 2020, Herman coached Texas to a 7–3 record, culminating with a second straight victory in the Alamo Bowl over Colorado.