Texas coach Tom Herman was identified as reporter Brett McMurphy’s tipster by Ohio State insider Jeff Snook in a Saturday Facebook post.

The news came as a surprise to many considering Herman’s time at Ohio State helped him climb the coaching ladder to get a head coaching job at Houston which led to the Longhorns gig. From 2012-14, Herman was offensive coordinator, meaning he worked closely with Zach Smith, the Buckeyes former wide receivers coach accused of domestic violence.

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Later in the day, Snook reported that Herman tipped off McMurphy to get revenge on Zach Smith, who helped recruit 5-star Austin, Texas WR Garrett Wilson to Ohio State. Herman told Texas media that Snook’s report was false.

McMurphy’s reporting prompted many to question how Urban Meyer and the OSU athletic department handled allegations against Smith. As a result, Meyer is on paid administrative leave and the school has brought in outside help to conduct an investigation.

On Aug. 3, Herman was asked about the Meyer/Smith/OSU situation twice. When asked to comment, Herman says that because he left OSU after 2014 and the allegations against Smith were from 2015-18, he did not feel it would be “appropriate” to comment. In a follow-up question, Herman was pressed on what he knew as Smith’s superior from 2012-14. Herman replied simply he would not comment on another program.