Rapper Paul Wall fits Houston coach Tom Herman for gold and diamond grill

In a move that I suspect will also pay nice dividends on the recruiting trail, Houston coach Tom Herman fulfilled a preseason promise to his team for winning the AAC title by getting fitted for a gold and diamond grill on his teeth. Grammy nominee and Houston hip-hop artist Paul Wall was at the Houston football offices Tuesday to do the fitting. 

The Cougars won the AAC title with a 24-13 win over Temple on Dec. 5 to advance to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl where they will face Florida State on Dec. 31 in Atlanta. 

Wall and Johnny Dang, who was also on hand Tuesday, own a company that specializes in creating pricey grills. Dang said Herman's will cost just under $15,000.

Wall, who attended the University of Houston, was thrilled to get the chance to make a grill for the first-year coach. Wall and Dang both wore grills on Tuesday, and Wall was asked how he thinks Herman will look in his.

"Oh, he's going to be shining," Wall said. "Definitely going to be shining."

Herman caused the players who were in attendance to double over with laughter when he responded by quoting a line from a 2007 hit by Nelly and Wall about the mouthpieces called "Grillz."

"Got my mouth looking something like a disco ball," Herman bellowed.

Someone tried to play the song on their phone earlier in the fitting, but the signal in the office was bad and it kept cutting out. But it did play for a few seconds at a time, causing both Herman and Wall to bob their heads to the beat.

The idea for the grill came last February, when Herman was walking with one of his new players, standout wide receiver Demarcus Ayers, from the UH field house to the Cougars basketball arena, where the new Houston football coach was going to get announced to the crowd. Herman was just trying to get to know Ayers better and noticed the wideout was wearing a grill, something he’d seen on several of his players before.

“Hey, what's with the grill?” Herman asked.

Ayers said it’s a style thing, a Texas thing, something lots of guys down South like to wear, adding that Herman would look good in one and should think about it.

Herman laughed and said, “I’ll tell you what. If we win the league championship this year, I’ll get one.”

Ayers asked if he could hold his coach to that and wanted to record Herman’s pledge. Herman agreed.

Then Herman forgot all about it. Till the week of the AAC championship game, when his players reminded him.

“Well, dang, I guess I have to get one then,” Herman said.

The team's “a grill committee” advised Herman on the style of grill he’s getting. Herman’s not sure how long he’ll actually wear the grill, but likes that Houston legend Wall is a part of it, and the coach thinks it’s something he’ll keep close by in his office with his bowl rings and other symbols of team accomplishments that he’s been a part of. It’s also a move that furthers Herman’s connection to the city. Local rappers Bun B and Slim Thug also have come to Cougar games this season.

Herman has already thought of a perfect time to don the grill.

"Next time I go see him play I'll wear it," he said of Wall.

Details of what Herman's grill will look like were not divulged. The coach will receive it next week.

"We had a hard time deciding gold or diamonds," Herman said. "Does it need to have letters? So I think it will be pretty good. It's going to be iced out."

Wall, who is a huge fan of all the city's teams, can't wait to see the finished product on Herman.

"I take a lot of pride in repping for my city, repping for my school the University of Houston," he said. "It represents the city. For coach to do that and show love and even want to get a grill means a lot."

Since getting hired a year ago after helping Ohio State win a national title, Herman has worked very hard to cultivate a big local recruiting presence — a.k.a the H-Town Takeover — and this latest move will only enhance his rep as a player’s coach and guy who "gets it."

The first-year head coach has shown a unique ability to balance being that “players’ coach” while also keeping his team disciplined and focused. Back in late October, when UH cracked the Coaches Poll for the first time, Herman noticed something that set him off right after. He went into the Cougars locker room and noticed dirty laundry all over the floor and some foot lockers open. 

“The place looked like (bleep),” Herman told FOX Sports a few days later. “We want that place to be ‘recruit-ready’ 24 hours a day. It needs to be pristine, and it wasn’t."

Herman winced about what the sloppy locker room was a sign of. “We’re changing back into these old ways,” Herman thought — and that can’t happen. Herman ripped his team the next day at a meeting and had everyone — players, staff, even UH’s head trainer, who Herman said is like 71 years old — running half-gassers after practice. “Yeah, we were 6-0, but I’m thinking, 'If I let this one go, we’re heading down a slippery slope and it was gonna bite us in the ass.'"

Instead of slipping, his team went 12-1, won its league championship and qualified for a New Year’s Six bowl. Now he’ll have a fancy grill to show for it, too.

Bruce Feldman is a senior college football reporter and columnist for FOXSports.com and FS1. He is also a New York Times best-selling author. His new book, “The QB: The Making of Modern Quarterbacks,” came out in October 2014. Follow him on Twitter @BruceFeldmanCFB and Facebook.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.