Report: Texas expected to hire Mike Yurcich as OC next week

For weeks, Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman has maintained that he’s not in a hurry to hire a replacement for former offensive coordinator Tim Beck, but the search could finally come to an end next week with the addition of Ohio State Buckeyes passing coordinator Mike Yurcich, according to Brett McMurphy of Stadium.

During a media availability leading up to the College Football Playoff semifinals for Ohio State against Clemson on Saturday, Yurcich unsurprisingly declined to comment about his connection to the Texas job and said that he’s focused on the Tigers. Notably, however, Yurcich did not deny any interest in joining the Longhorns nor say that he’ll remain with the Buckeyes next season.

In recent days, the former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator has seemingly emerged as the leading candidate for Texas with USC’s Graham Harrell signing a recent contract extension to remain with the Trojans and LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady appearing likely to remain in Baton Rouge.

Kirk Ciarrocca is the other name recently connected to the Texas job by McMurphy, but the longtime assistant to PJ Fleck was named the new Penn State offensive coordinator on Thursday.

The question now with Yurcich may be more about timing than whether he’s the best bet to take the job — if Ohio State beats Clemson, would Yurcich leave for Austin with the Buckeyes still alive in the national championship hunt? And would that timetable impact Herman’s decision?

The title game is on Jan. 13, three days before the end of the dead period in recruiting.