Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman and Houston were finalizing terms on a five-year contract Monday night to make Herman the next head coach of the Cougars, sources told Yahoo Sports.

Tom Herman was given the Broyles Award for being the nation's top assistant coach on Dec. 9. (AP) More

Herman will stay with the Buckeyes through the College Football Playoff, a source said. Ohio State plays Alabama on Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl, and if it wins would play Jan. 12 in Dallas for the national championship.

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports reported earlier Monday that Herman was expected to get the job.

Already a hot commodity coming into the season, Herman is the 2014 Broyles Award winner as the nation's outstanding assistant coach. His work with Ohio State's quarterbacks after season-ending injuries to starter Braxton Miller and backup J.T. Barrett helped keep the Buckeyes in the national championship picture.

Herman and former Florida head coach Will Muschamp interviewed for the job, sources said. The school also had preliminary discussions with California coach Sonny Dykes.

Houston is aggressively trying to upgrade its athletic status, in part to present itself as a potential expansion acquisition if the Big 12 should decide to add more schools. The Cougars opened a rebuilt stadium this season, and the decision to fire Tony Levine after three seasons showed that the school has ambitions beyond being a mid-pack contender in the American Athletic Conference.

Last spring, Houston made a splash by hiring former Indiana and Oklahoma basketball coach Kelvin Sampson, who had been out of college coaching for several years after multiple NCAA rules issues. The school plans to open a new basketball practice facility in 2015.