Why Didn’t Texas A&M Hire Kevin Sumlin in 2008 When it Had the Chance?
You won’t find a more prescient post about the current state of Texas A&M football than this one, from the Tulsa World in 2008:
Mike Sherman won’t be the disaster that Dennis Franchione was as Texas A&M head coach. But he won’t be a rousing success, either. Far from it. The Aggies will finish behind Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech in the Big 12 South next fall, spend another few years in the middle of the division’s pack, then Sherman will announce his retirement/resignation.
When that moment comes, the first man A&M athletic director Bill Byrne will call is the guy he should have called before settling for Sherman last November.
Kevin Sumlin.
By then, the former OU assistant will have won 75 percent of his games at Houston, maybe a lower-tiered bowl or two. He will have shown a knack for recruiting, player-coach bonding and booster-club gladhanding. He will have shown impeccable character.
About the only thing missing? Texas A&M joining the SEC.
Franchione was a disaster (32-28 in five years); Sherman wasn’t a rousing success, but he was marginally better than Franchione (25-25, but at least the Aggies finished one season ranked). Neither won a bowl game, so I’d actually accept “push.”
Sumlin went 35-17 at Houston, which comes out to a shade less than 75 percent of his games (67 percent). I’ll let Aggies fans play the “what if” game with Sumlin. It’s still very, very early in his A&M tenure to make any bold predictions about his future, but can you recall excitement being this high around the program at any time when Sherman was there? [Tulsa World]

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19 Responses to “Why Didn’t Texas A&M Hire Kevin Sumlin in 2008 When it Had the Chance?”
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November 5th, 2012 at 7:16 PM
Because it’s way cooler to hire black dudes now than it was in 2008?
Turner Gill would like a word with you via Charles Barkley’s agent.
November 5th, 2012 at 7:17 PM
A whole lot aTm up in here this evening.
November 5th, 2012 at 7:20 PM
/Obama’s America
Seriously, let’s not go crazy on Sumlin yet. A guy like Manzel really helps the coach look good.
November 5th, 2012 at 7:20 PM
It’s cool with me.
My kid thinks Johnny Football is the man. After seeing his halloween pics, I tend to agree.
And he fun to watch.
/Coop
November 5th, 2012 at 7:21 PM
Shudda waited to post this, but I’ll repeat anyway.
-Texas distillers …
Deep Eddy or Tito’s Vodka??
November 5th, 2012 at 7:29 PM
Hey TBL… do you have any really prescient (or for the fun of it, really wrong) posts? I’m thinking we need some fun flashback posts.
/pours one out for the archives
November 5th, 2012 at 7:36 PM
Firestone & Robertson.
November 5th, 2012 at 7:39 PM
Sumlin’s done a hell of a job in his first season. If he can get the defense to match the offense, aTm will be a player in the SEC.
I think they’re losing some of their OL next season, though, so you could see a step back in 2013.
/ Hubert Sumlin > Kevin Sumlin
November 5th, 2012 at 7:40 PM
Its tomorrow night/wednesday morning when it’ll get politically crazy right?
November 5th, 2012 at 7:40 PM
Voting at 7 sharp
November 5th, 2012 at 7:44 PM
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCsQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D31FFTx6AKmU&ei=vlyYUIesJ6ec2QWRooDgAw&usg=AFQjCNHWlpY-eqhcPDE7tgRitekY6ZRuSw
November 5th, 2012 at 7:47 PM
Its exactly as i predicted except that the silly party won!
November 5th, 2012 at 7:49 PM
Yeah Im voting on the way into work. I scheduled meetings all day so that I wouldn’t have to check the interwebs.
Some guy from a Republican polling outfit was just on TV here in PA saying that the state is a dead heat. I just….man.
November 5th, 2012 at 7:52 PM
Firestone & Robertson – Thanks.
I’m dreading TBL over the next 2 days.
/I’m looking at you queefer
November 5th, 2012 at 7:55 PM
I just ordered an African Painted Dog over the internet. Anybody got any feedback? Temperament?
November 5th, 2012 at 7:57 PM
/looks over shoulder
//you mean that guy?
November 5th, 2012 at 8:02 PM
Saints / Brees pregame chant is waay lame.
“Ain’t gonna tell no lies?” Wait, wha..?
November 5th, 2012 at 8:56 PM
They don’t prefer tough meat and meals that are hard to stalk. Similarly, they prefer handouts.
November 5th, 2012 at 8:59 PM
No love for the python?