A Friday meeting of the Texas A&M System Board of Regents will likely be the first step in reaching a separation agreement with one of the flagship school's former coaches.
Mike Sherman was fired December 1 as head football coach after a 6-6 season and with three years remaining on his contract. A one-year extension authorized last July was never executed. His buyout was for $5.8 million.
Friday's telephonic meeting, in part, will include a vote to authorize A&M President R. Bowen Loftin to "negotiate and execute a settlement agreement with Michael F. Sherman relating to his separation from employment with the university," according to the system.
In December, News 3 quoted a source close to Aggie Athletics who stated private donors would be picking up the tab for Sherman's buyout, just as they did after the firings of predecessors Dennis Franchione ($4.4 million) and R.C. Slocum ($1.2 million).
If the $5.8 million on Sherman's deal is delivered, that would mean $11.4 million in buyouts paid to now-former football coaches in the last decade.
Overall, Sherman finished 25-25 in four seasons at the helm of A&M.
Since the firing, Sherman landed as offensive coordinator of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, where he will coach his quarterback the last two seasons in Aggieland, Ryan Tannehill. Before coming to A&M, Sherman was the offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans.
