Tom Herman’s staff at Texas reportedly second largest in NCAA

One staff, 44 members.

According to an NCAA survey obtained by CBS Sports, the football staff at The University of Texas, top to bottom, consists of 44 total members including assistant coaches, graduate assistants, and assistants in quality control, operations, player development, recruiting and creative media.

The survey lists the Longhorns as having the second largest staff in the NCAA, trailing just Notre Dame, which reportedly features 45 staffers.

To some extent, though, the survey should be taken with a grain of salt and according to Bob Bowlsby, chairman of the NCAA Oversight Committee, “six or seven grains of salt.”

For starters, the survey was reportedly based on mere website research, which already houses inconsistencies. According to the survey, Alabama’s staff is comprised of 31 total staff members and just one strength and conditioning coach. Alabama’s website lists five strength and conditioning coaches. In regards to Texas, the survey indicates that Herman boasts a 22-man supports staff—the currently uncapped portion of a staff, per NCAA rules—but Herman recently accounted for just 17 members on his support staff.

“Four grad assistants, four quality control guys, three in operations, one as our director of players development, three full-time in recruiting, three full-time in creative media."

The NCAA recently approved an increase in on-field coaches allowed from nine to 10—a move that goes into effect in January—but the bigger question facing the NCAA is in regards the the currently limitless number of assistants on the support staff.

According to the CBS Sports report, Bowlsby said in April that staff size will be among the two “up-front issues” that are comprehensively examined by the committee this year.

While some many certainly be against programs stocking up on assistants of any and every kind, Herman is among those that agrees if you can afford them, you can hoard them.

"Limits should not penalize the schools that might be able to generate more revenue and afford staffs like that," Herman said. "At some point it gets a little bit ridiculous."

Considering Texas boasts the largest athletic budget in the nation at upwards of $160 million, it’s not much of a surprise Herman favors the idea of as many assistants as possible.

Whether the survey is accurate or not, as we’ve already seen throughout his first six months on the Forty Acres, Herman is taking full advantage of the NCAA rules as they currently stand and stockpiling his staff to be among the largest in the nation.

Per the survey, the top five largest staffs in the country are Notre Dame (45), Texas (44), Georgia (42), Auburn (41) and Michigan (40).