OT- Sumlin to Texas A&M
ESPN has a report out that Kevin Sumlin has accepted a contract at Texas A&M.
If true, a good hire for Texas A&M, should be interesting to see his offense play against some real defenses in the SEC.
December 10th, 2011 at 10:37 AM ^
This hire is actually a somewhat inspired one, I think. Sumlin has a good track record on the offensive side of the ball (including a stint as WR/TE coach and OC under Bob Stoops, I think), so with the right DC and some time, he might do well (whatever "well" is in the SEC West when compared to, say, LSU and Alabama).
ADDENDUM: Thinking about this more, I guess the big problem is the inherent competitive disadvantage he'll have in the SEC West, but here' the question - can you mitigate with the right hires and talent? I don't see Texas A&M as usurping LSU anytime in, say, the next century given where the programs are right now. I think it's inspired still in that "high-risk, potential for at least medium reward" way, sort off-the-wall, if you will.
December 10th, 2011 at 10:40 AM ^
You don't have to back very far to find a pretty crappy version of LSU. Things change in college football, at least to a degree. If Sumlin can coach at that level, there's no reason A&M can't compete in the SEC.
December 10th, 2011 at 11:16 AM ^
It definitely won't change immediately, but I think A&M is going to do everything it can to be a winner--just like the other SEC West schools. Given that A&M has a great recruiting base, they can be competitive if Sumlin is actually the right coach.
December 10th, 2011 at 10:27 AM ^
Bad for ASU. I think Sumlin could have had more success in the Pac 12, but perhaps Texas is where he feels most comfortable.
December 10th, 2011 at 10:28 AM ^
I do not like this hire at all for A & M. I would have thought they would have gone with a more established candidate or a track record at that level. I like the offense Houston ran, but lets be honest, that team lived and died with Case Keenum. Should be interesting to see how he adapts the offense to the SEC.
December 10th, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^
I doubt Keenum will be the best QB Sumlin coaches.
December 10th, 2011 at 10:29 AM ^
I like the hire but I fear that the situation he's walking into, Texas A & M moving to the SEC coupled with a massively delusional fan base that make Notre Dame supporters appear rational, appears to me to be a ticking time bomb for Sumlin.
A couple of 4-5 win seasons will sure take a lot of the sheen off of's Sumlin's current luster. It's really too bad because I think he's a good coach walking into a horrible situation and he's going to be made the fall guy for a really stupid decison by the school itself.
December 10th, 2011 at 10:54 AM ^
I think that this is a great hire for Texas A&M and a great move for Kevin Sumlin. While the SEC West is a frickin' gauntlet, they will definitely be able to recruit well in Texas - While I don't see them taking it to UT anytime soon, they definitely raised their profile with the SEC move.
He has a track record and I think he'll do well with the x's and o's portion
December 10th, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^
He still has much to prove as a coach. Then there is the issue of defense. Houston's lack thereof is a major concern. A&M's has been weak since Slocum left. How will a coach whose teams have been defensively challenged change this? How will such a team perform in a rugged conference dominated by good defenses? Perhaps just as importantly, how will Sumlin's offense fare versus the fast and physical defenses of the SEC?
I think this hire has the potential to make the RichRod hire look like a match made in heaven.
December 10th, 2011 at 12:03 PM ^
Dumb, dumb, dumb. Very similar to the hire of Rodriguez here. What they absolutely NEED is a proven defensive coordinator, because Sumlin and his offense won't be able to move up and down the field at will anymore in the SEC. Because of a boneheaded move by the administration, it's almost like Sumlin is walking into a death trap.
December 10th, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
I'm coming to the conclusion that it's not really that difficult to put a good offense together at the college level. You don't need 11 superstars, just a handful of quality players and then you can gameplan around the others. Putting together a good defense, given the variety of opposing schemes you have to face, may be the greater challenge. One suspect player can break your defense.
December 10th, 2011 at 1:53 PM ^
I have a feeling this won't end well for A&M
December 10th, 2011 at 2:44 PM ^
I was just talking about Sumlin with 2 Aggie fans while leaving work this morning. They had mixed feelings about him. He has a good reputation down here but they didn't want another OC as their head coach. One of them actually remarked that they'd rather have someone like Hoke, a good HC that had a separate OC and DC. Sumlin definitely has his work cut out for him given the state of the Aggie football team right now.
December 10th, 2011 at 3:03 PM ^
As an Aggie, I don't like the hire. Without Keenum he wouldn't have done anything. There are definitely mixed feelings from everyone here. Half the people support it, half don't.
December 10th, 2011 at 10:01 PM ^
Is if he goes out and spends mega dollars on getting a top DC. Otherwise, this will be like Sherman-lite