
Sherman Tapped as Assistant Head Coach
2/13/2024 2:13:00 PM | Football
Derrick Sherman enters first season with Cougars under Head Coach Willie Fritz
HOUSTON – First-year Assistant Coach Derrick Sherman, who joined University of Houston Football in January as its Wide Receivers Coach, will also serve Assistant Head Coach, Head Coach Willie Fritz formalized Tuesday.
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"The experience, along with the platform provided by Coach Fritz, to reach everyone involved in our program is amazing," Sherman said. "To serve in this role is an honor, especially when the opportunity comes from one of the greats in this profession. I'm looking forward to serving all our guys."
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Sherman comes to Houston after spending the previous two seasons with Tulane, serving as wide receivers coach in 2023 and running backs coach in 2022. Â There, he helped guide a pair of All-American Athletic Conference honorees in wide receivers Chris Brazzell and Lawrence Keys III who earned third-team recognition during 2023. Two Green Wave wideouts earned postseason bowl invites in Keys III (Hula Bowl) and Jha'Quan Jackson (Senior Bowl).
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Tulane entered bowl season with an American Athletic Conference leading three wideouts ranked inside the league's top 12 for receiving touchdowns led by Keys III who was fifth with seven scores. Among underclassmen wide receivers, Brazzell, a redshirt freshman, ranked second in The American and fourth among all Group of 5 wideouts, with a 76.3 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus.
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"Coach Sherman has run our social initiative program the last two years and he does a tremendous job supervising, motivating, coaching, and teaching," Fritz said. "I really believe that someday he'll be a very successful head football coach."
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During the 2022 campaign, the running back unit became a dominant group, finishing the season with over 2,800 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns.
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Under Sherman's tutelage, senior running back Tyjae Spears was named Honorable Mention All-American, American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-AAC and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Most Outstanding Offensive Player in a game that saw him rush 17 times for 205 yards and a career-high four touchdowns.
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Prior to returning to Tulane in 2022, Sherman spent a season as the wide receivers coach for Georgia Southern. Prior to his return to Georgia Southern, Sherman spent three seasons at Samford. In his first two seasons, he worked specifically with the team's wide receivers.
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Sherman came to Samford after spending two seasons as an offensive analyst at Tulane.
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Sherman made coaching stops at Pittsburg State as the wide receivers coach in 2015 and Georgia Southern where he served as an offensive graduate assistant coach in 2014. He served as wide receivers coach at Southwest Baptist University in 2012 and West Virginia State in 2013.
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A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Sherman played at Purdue (2007-08), before finishing his collegiate career at Morgan State (2009-11) where he served as a team captain during his senior season.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Football by purchasing season tickets, supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective, giving to Houston Rise, and by joining 46ers and The Huddle which provides financial support directly to Houston Football for needs beyond its operating budget.
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STAY CONNECTED Â
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarFB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Football. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at uhcougarfb.Â
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"The experience, along with the platform provided by Coach Fritz, to reach everyone involved in our program is amazing," Sherman said. "To serve in this role is an honor, especially when the opportunity comes from one of the greats in this profession. I'm looking forward to serving all our guys."
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Sherman comes to Houston after spending the previous two seasons with Tulane, serving as wide receivers coach in 2023 and running backs coach in 2022. Â There, he helped guide a pair of All-American Athletic Conference honorees in wide receivers Chris Brazzell and Lawrence Keys III who earned third-team recognition during 2023. Two Green Wave wideouts earned postseason bowl invites in Keys III (Hula Bowl) and Jha'Quan Jackson (Senior Bowl).
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Tulane entered bowl season with an American Athletic Conference leading three wideouts ranked inside the league's top 12 for receiving touchdowns led by Keys III who was fifth with seven scores. Among underclassmen wide receivers, Brazzell, a redshirt freshman, ranked second in The American and fourth among all Group of 5 wideouts, with a 76.3 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus.
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"Coach Sherman has run our social initiative program the last two years and he does a tremendous job supervising, motivating, coaching, and teaching," Fritz said. "I really believe that someday he'll be a very successful head football coach."
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During the 2022 campaign, the running back unit became a dominant group, finishing the season with over 2,800 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns.
Â
Under Sherman's tutelage, senior running back Tyjae Spears was named Honorable Mention All-American, American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-AAC and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Most Outstanding Offensive Player in a game that saw him rush 17 times for 205 yards and a career-high four touchdowns.
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Prior to returning to Tulane in 2022, Sherman spent a season as the wide receivers coach for Georgia Southern. Prior to his return to Georgia Southern, Sherman spent three seasons at Samford. In his first two seasons, he worked specifically with the team's wide receivers.
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Sherman came to Samford after spending two seasons as an offensive analyst at Tulane.
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Sherman made coaching stops at Pittsburg State as the wide receivers coach in 2015 and Georgia Southern where he served as an offensive graduate assistant coach in 2014. He served as wide receivers coach at Southwest Baptist University in 2012 and West Virginia State in 2013.
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A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Sherman played at Purdue (2007-08), before finishing his collegiate career at Morgan State (2009-11) where he served as a team captain during his senior season.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Football by purchasing season tickets, supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective, giving to Houston Rise, and by joining 46ers and The Huddle which provides financial support directly to Houston Football for needs beyond its operating budget.
Â
STAY CONNECTED Â
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarFB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Football. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at uhcougarfb.Â
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–– UHCougars.com ––
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