Tom Herman: Citadel loss did not keep him from South Carolina job

Contrary to popular belief, South Carolina's shocking loss to The Citadel last season was not the reason Houston's Tom Herman turned down the SEC school's job offer.

USA Today reported in February that the 40-year-old was in talks to sign on with the Gamecocks and replace Steve Spurrier, but the loss to the FCS program changed his mind. It's a notion that Herman strongly denied Thursday on ESPN's Paul Finebaum's Show.

"Absolutely not true," Herman said. "I wish that reporter had actually asked me for my comment on that, I would have given him the truth just like I'm giving it to you Paul. I don't know you very well but I do respect you and your work and the truth is that report was false."

South Carolina eventually hired Auburn's defensive coordinator Will Muschamp as head coach. The former Florida frontman was fired in 2014 from his only other previous head coaching position.

Herman's Cougars were one of the stories of the college football season, capping the program's first American Athletic Conference title campaign with a dominant win over Florida State in the Peach Bowl.