After initially saying Tom Herman would remain coach of the Texas football program in mid-December, the Longhorns on Saturday pulled an about face and fired Herman after four seasons with the team. Texas will hire Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as Herman's replacement, a source close to the process tells CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd. The decision to move on from Herman was made after evaluating the program's strengths and weaknesses, according to a statement released by Texas. It comes just four days after UT blew out Colorado 55-23 in the Alamo Bowl with many young players shining during the game. Herman is owed a $15 million buyout with his assistants tallying an additional $10 million in buyouts for a total expenditure of nearly $25 million just to remove the football staff. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte also released a separate statement on Twitter, calling Herman's firing a "very, very difficult" decision requiring "much deliberation and a great deal of thought." SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/user/CBSSportsHQ FOLLOW US ON: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CBSSports/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cbssports/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/CBSSports