Mike Sherman always seemed like a decent enough coach in the pros. He was properly hippy in only the way a seconds-from-stroking-out, sleep-in-the-office pro coach should be, ran a ton of power formations, and got into a fight with Warren Sapp. (This last fact alone may be a good indicator of his worth as a human being.)

He is now the rebound date for Texas A&M, according to The Dallas Morning News, who reports that the former Packer head coach and current Houston Texans offensive coordinator will take the job in College Station in the wake of an EXCELSIOR! Dennis Franchione effort and his subsequent resignation on Friday.

Tommy Tuberville’s sudden disappearance from the campaign came down to ducats.

Tuberville has a $6 million buyout clause in his Auburn contract. A&M officials were not willing to pay that amount “just to talk to him,” the university source said. A&M would then have to pay even more to lure Tuberville to College Station.

The Aggies deciding to go the retread route is not shocking, especially when they’ve just bought out Franchione’s contract and have someone familiar who, even in the midst of what athletic director Bill Byrne called “a nationwide search,” just happened to be twirling a clipboard down the road in Houston. Be wary of confusing Sherman’s hiring with other NFL retread coaches, as well. He has the following upsides over the recent rash of middling to piddling NFL exiles finding solace in the breezy 70 hour work weeks of the college world:

1. Has college coaching experience at the school, so will respect the deep fabric of tradition at Texas A&M.

2. Not a bitter cyborg whiling away his time on earth until his robot masters come back from the future to rescue him. (Hello, Bill Callahan.)

3. Actually won quite a bit as a head coach and looked positively ept while doing so, unlike some mustachioed Pitt coaches.

4. Will likely not settle in at a stasis of 7-5 and rely on playbook consisting of 5 plays while going 0-fer life against major rival. (Hello, Chan Gailey.)

Dennis Franchione, having broken up with A&M on Friday, thinks this is positively trampy of the Aggies. He told as much in his newsletter, which we only pay 12 bucks a month now to read. He had a really nice Cobb Salad yesterday, by the way. Gotta get trim for the job hunt!

(HT: David W.)