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Tom Herman’s buyout is a manageable amount for the power programs in the market for a new head coach.

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The race to land the hottest college football coach in the country, Tom Herman, is about to hit full throttle. With Texas reportedly set to fire Charlie Strong and LSU potentially in the market for a new head coach – the Tigers are flirting with keeping interim coach Ed Orgeron to fill the full-time position, though they are also eager to hire one of the game’s big names – Herman will have his fair share of offers on the table.

But what will it take to get Herman to leave Houston? Outside of what promises to be one of college football’s largest contracts, Herman has a $2.5 million buyout clause if he leaves before February 28, 2017.

Following a salary increase last season, Herman currently makes approximately $3,000,000 per year as head coach of the Cougars, which makes him the 35th highest paid coach in the country. He’s the highest paid non-Power Five coach, however his current salary pales in comparison to the likes of Jim Harbaugh ($9,0004,000), Nick Saban ($6,939,395) and Urban Meyer ($6,003,000).

In late October it was reported that Houston was discussing a new contract extension for Herman.

“We have what I consider to be one of the hottest coaching commodities in all of college football,” Houston athletic director Hunter Yurachek said. “It’s my job to continue to do due diligence and work with (president Renu) Khator and (board of regents) chairman Tilman Fertitta and put together parameters for what potentially could be a new contract offer for coach Herman as we look toward the future and retaining him as head coach.”

A new deal has yet to be announced for Herman.

To pull him from the Cougars, an offer would likely have to be in the $5 million per year range, a number Texas was already paying to Strong and close to what LSU was shelling out ($4,300,000) for Les Miles.

MORE: Tom Herman Again Proves He’s The Coach Texas Can’t Afford To Miss