When Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012, few expected it to make an immediate impact in college football’s best conference. The Aggies finished seventh in the Big 12 and went 7-6 (4-5) in 2011, which led to former head coach Mike Sherman’s firing on December 1.
In stepped former Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin, who was coming off a 35-17 (24-8 Conference USA) record in four seasons with the Cougars. But even with Sumlin, one of the nation’s best young coaches, the Aggies’ successful transition to the SEC was a surprise.
A&M finished with an 11-2 (6-2) record, which included a win over eventual national champion Alabama and a No. 5 overall ranking in 2012. Quarterback Johnny Manziel became the Aggies’ second Heisman Trophy winner in school history while guiding the SEC’s top ranked offense to an average of 558.5 yards per game.
Because of his success, Sumlin continued to build his growing reputation as the SEC’s top young coach. Fast forward to present day and his future with the A&M is now in question.
So what happened?
Sumlin has failed to improve his record from the previous season in each year following his career-best 11-2 finish in 2012. The Aggies went 9-4 in 2013, 8-5 in 2014 and 8-5 in 2015. Now, that’s hardly worth firing a coach over, but given the lofty expectations he built early in his tenure, Sumlin’s recent run has been underwhelming.
The Aggies are 4-9 against Top 25 teams in each of the past three seasons and have finished with a sub-.500 record against SEC opponents in that span. A&M is also 1-7 against Alabama and LSU and has lost to Ole Miss in each of the past two seasons.
It doesn’t help that the former coordinator’s offenses have failed to find consistency at quarterback since Manziel’s departure in 2013. Sumlin has started five different quarterbacks in each of the past two seasons. In that span, three — Kenny Hill, Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray — have transferred away from the program. In fact, Allen and Murray — both former 5-star prospects as well as starters in 2015 — announced their decisions to transfer a week apart of one another last December.
It was one of the biggest disasters in college football and Sumlin was right at the center of it all. Obviously, if two quarterbacks both have make the decision to transfer — when either one is now guaranteed playing time with the other gone — the coach is going to receive the blame.
According to CoachesHotSeat.com, Sumlin has the hottest seat of any coach in college football. That’s ahead of South Carolina’s Will Muschamp — arguably the most headscratching hire in college football this offseason, LSU’s Les Miles — who was rumored to be fired for weeks leading up to a Week 14 win against, you guessed it, Texas A&M — and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops, who has failed to make a bowl game appearance in each of his first three seasons.
(Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire)
There’s no denying that Sumlin faces pressure heading into his fifth season as the Aggies coach, regardless of whether its justified or not (it is).
A&M can’t just be a mediocre team in 2016, rather one that lives up to the expectations set in Sumlin’s first two seasons.
Sumlin needs to find a starting quarterback as soon as possible and stick with him to provide stability on offense. Many expect former Oklahoma starter Trevor Knight, who transferred this offseason, to be under center in A&M’s season opener. If that’s the case, Knight needs to stay there all season barring injuries.
A&M’s wide receivers will likely be the best group in the SEC, but they need a consistent passer to throw them the football. A veteran passer should make a quick transition with targets like Christian Kirk, Josh Reynolds, Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil — if he shows more maturity off the field and can stay active on the Aggies’ roster.
Sumlin’s defense needs to live up to the expectations set when revered coordinator John Chavis was hired last offseason. With defensive end Myles Garrett returning for his third season, along with a talented secondary, the Aggies should find success in their second year in Chavis’ scheme.
A&M should be a competitive team once again, but that won’t be enough to save Sumlin’s job.
The Aggies need to be a contender and finish among the top-tier of the SEC if their coach is going to return in 2017.
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