Kevin Sumlin
Kevin Sumlin: Former Houston, Texas A&M, and Arizona head coach; currently head coach of the Houston Gamblers.
via Wikipedia: Kevin Sumlin · see source
Kevin Warren Sumlin (born August 3, 1964) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach for the Houston Gamblers of the United Football League (UFL). Sumlin served as the head football coach at the University of Houston from 2008 to 2011, Texas A&M University from 2012 to 2017, and at the University of Arizona from 2018 to 2020. Sumlin was formerly the associate head coach, co-offensive coordinator, and tight ends coach for the University of Maryland.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 3 August 1964
- Birthplace
- Brewton, Alabama, U.S.
- College
- Purdue (1983–1986)
- Career position
- Linebacker
- Career number
- 44
- Highlights
- 2× C-USA Coach of the Year (2009, 2011); SEC Coach of the Year (2012)
Lore & Background
Sumlin was born in Brewton, Alabama, on August 3, 1964. He attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, where he played football, basketball, and ice hockey. He attended Purdue University and was a starting linebacker throughout his entire college career. He was a member of the 1984 Peach Bowl team and finished in the top 10 in total tackles with 375 (191 solo, 184 assisted) and in the top 20 in solo tackles with 191. He led the team in tackles during his freshman season of 1983 with 91 total tackles (50 solo, 41 assisted). He was a teammate of players such as Jim Everett, Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, fellow linebacker Fred Strickland, and long-time NFL players Mel Gray and Cris Dishman.
Reader's Guide
Sumlin served as an assistant coach at Washington State, Wyoming, Minnesota, and Purdue (all, except for Minnesota, alongside Joe Tiller); served as assistant head coach at Texas A&M for two years under R.C. Slocum; and for five years at Oklahoma under Bob Stoops, serving the last two years as co-offensive coordinator. In addition to Stoops and Slocum, he has served as an assistant coach under Mike Price at Washington State and Joe Tiller at Purdue. While at Purdue, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney and he aided Tiller in implementing the then-uncommonly used spread offense, and the Boilermakers, with Drew Brees as starting quarterback, broke a string of Big Ten passing records and made a surprise run to the 2001 Rose Bowl, Purdue's first Rose Bowl in three decades. He left for Texas A&M to serve as the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for two seasons before joining the University of Oklahoma. In his final year with the Oklahoma Sooners, Sumlin's offense was one of the best in the country, averaging 44 points per game. In December 2007, Sumlin was hired as the head coach of the University of Houston. In December 2009, Sumlin was announced as a finalist for the Paul 'Bear' Bryant Award. In 2011, Sumlin coached Houston to a 12–0 start before losing the Conference USA Championship Game to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. On December 10, 2011, Sumlin told his players he was leaving Houston, effective immediately, to accept a job at another school. KRIV in Houston and ESPN's Joe Schad both reported that Sumlin was to become the new coach at Texas A&M University. Special-teams coordinator Tony Levine coached Houston in the 2012 TicketCity Bowl. In 2012, Sumlin named quarterback Johnny Manziel his starter. Manziel went on to win the Heisman Trophy and Sumlin took Texas A&M, in their first year in the Southeastern Conference, to an 11–2 record, including victories over then No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and No. 11 Oklahoma in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. The Aggies finished the 2012 season ranked in the top five of both the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll for the first time since 1956. Texas A&M also led the SEC in total offense, total scoring offense, and total rushing yards, and led the nation in third down conversion percentage. On November 30, 2013, Sumlin agreed to a new six-year contract as head coach at Texas A&M.
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