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After a coaching search that had us wondering whether your team might want to loan A&M its coach, Houston's Kevin Sumlin becomes the next Aggies boss. Here's our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Former Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman sent a lengthy letter to Texas high school coaches shortly after he was fired. He had every reason to leave on a bitter note, but instead peeled off a 4,000-worder filled with advice both practical and emotional, all written mostly to coaches with whom he may never work again.
For a coach perceived by most outsiders as something of a NFL-tainted bore, this is quite a revelation. It's like finding out the Grinch's heart was never all that small at all!
South Florida Bulls defensive coordinator Mark Snyder could become Kevin Sumlin's first defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, according to a report. A&M had previously tried to bring on Michigan St. Spartans DC Pat Narduzzi, who elected to stay in East Lansing.
Via TexAgs.com's Billy Liucci, who also had the Narduzzi report (which Narduzzi confirmed):
@billyliucci Confirmed per multiple sources connected to process, Sumlin tabs South Florida's Mark Snyder as defensive coordinator
USF ranked No. 39 in total defense in 2011 and No. 17 in 2010, his first year in Tampa. He went 22-37 as Marshall's head coach before joining South Florida. Previous stops have taken him to Ohio State, Minnesota, UCF and elsewhere.
This would be his first job in Texas. In fact, he's never held a job in Big 12 country. Well, West Virginia is Big 12 country now, but you know what I mean.
For more on the parties involved, visit Texas A&M blog I Am the 12th Man and USF blog Voodoo Five.
Michigan St. Spartans defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi has decided to turn down an offer from Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin and will remain in his current position with the Spartans.
"With the success we've had as a football program, especially the last two years, people around the country have taken notice. So when provided a professional opportunity like Texas A&M, I owed it to my family to investigate it because my first obligation is to take care of my wife and children. The bottom line remains; however, that I'm very comfortable working for (head coach)) Mark Dantonio and Michigan State. The support from the top down is tremendous. Coach Dantonio, Athletics Director Mark Hollis, President (Lou Anna) Simon and our Board of Trustees have been very supportive and understanding as I've gone through this decision-making process, and I'm thankful for their patience.
"I share the same feelings that our players and coaches have that there's some unfinished business to take care of here. We're all driven to win the Big Ten Championship and win a Rose Bowl."
During the regular season, the Spartans ranked fifth in total defense in 2011, allowing just 272.7 yards per game, and were ninth in scoring defense, allowing 17.5 points per game. Michigan State ranked 12th against the run and 11th against the pass. In their 33-30 triple overtime win over the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2012 Outback Bowl, the Spartans allowed just 51 rushing yards.
For more on the parties involved, visit Michigan State blog The Only Colors and Texas A&M blog I Am the 12th Man.
New Texas A&M Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin left the Houston Cougars for what will be one of the smallest salaries in the SEC, giving himself the chance to court top defensive coordinator talent. Sounds like everything is going to plan, with the man responsible for a top-five 2011 defense reportedly in College Station as we speak, according to Billy Liucci of TexAgs.com:
Narduzzi's Michigan St. Spartans defense, including top talents like Jerel Worthy and William Gholston, finished the regular season ranked No. 5 and was good enough to win a January bowl against the SEC East-champion Georgia Bulldogs, giving up only 21 points in an overtime'd Outback Bowl.
He has no clear connections to the state of Texas or the SEC. Previous stops included Cincinnati, Miami and Northern Illinois.
For more on the parties involved, visit Michigan State blog The Only Colors and Texas A&M blog I Am the 12th Man.
The Texas A&M Aggies unveiled new head coach Kevin Sumlin Monday, finally bringing him over from the Houston Cougars. A&M athletic director Bill Byrne revealed Sumlin's new deal to be $2 million per year over five years.
That figure would've placed him eighth among Big 12 coaches this year, but A&M will be a SEC school by the time he oversees his first game. His salary would rank 12th at best in the 14-team SEC, using 2011 numbers. Vanderbilt doesn't disclose coach James Franklin's pay.
As Ben Kercheval points out, that leaves plenty of budget for Sumlin to hire a capable defensive coordinator, something he's going to need and quickly. An offensive-minded coach, Sumlin should be able to score on SEC defenses with SEC athletes. But his D will face quite an upgrade from Conference USA competition.
As for his opening remarks, Sumlin spent a lot of time talking about A&M's place in the SEC. He said his team will do whatever it takes to win its division (which happens to include both of this year's national title participants).
For more A&M, visit Texas A&M blog I Am the 12th Man.
The Texas A&M Aggies have announced their new head coach: as long expected, it's Kevin Sumlin of the Houston Cougars. He'll become the first SEC coach in Aggies history, which is probably something. From A&M's official release on the hire:
"It is with great pride that we announce Kevin Sumlin has accepted an offer to become the next head football coach at Texas A&M University," Byrne stated. "We began this search process a little over a week ago and spoke to many worthy and qualified candidates, but my decision, which was made in consultation with (Texas A&M) President (R. Bowen) Loftin, kept leading me to Kevin. We met this morning to finalize the offer. I believe he is the right person to lead our football program into the Southeastern Conference. First of all, Kevin is a terrific person. He is also one heck of a recruiter and he will put together a great staff."
"I am very excited about the opportunity to serve as the head football coach at Texas A&M University," Sumlin said. "Having coached there before, I understand the culture and embrace the commitment by the 12th Man regarding Aggie football. Aggieland is a special place and I look forward to working with the young men in the football program and recruiting the type of players we need to be successful in the SEC."
"With that being said," Sumlin continued. "I can't thank the University of Houston enough for giving me a chance to become a head football coach. It is tough to leave a group of players who have worked so hard and have done things the right way in taking Cougar football to greater heights."
Sumlin takes over for Mike Sherman, who was fired in a recruit's driveway after a collapse-prone, 6-6 season.
For more A&M, visit Texas A&M blog I Am the 12th Man.
The Texas A&M Aggies are finally, actually, for real hiring Houston Cougars head coach Kevin Sumlin to replace Mike Sherman. Houston's athletic director, Mack Rhoades, confirmed as such Saturday evening, naming Tony Levine the interim coach.
@skhanjr Sam Khan Jr.: Rhoades joked on Sumlin taking assistants: "I told him he couldn't take any."
Sumlin has been the presumed next A&M coach for quite some time now, but the Aggies reportedly felt like undertaking a side quest in an effort to swipe Georgia Bulldogs coach Mark Richt. The UGA coach's agent certainly appreciates the venture.
Going 35-17 at UH and nearly reaching the BCS, Sumlin now becomes the first African-American head coach at a major Texas program and A&M's first-ever SEC head coach. Expect A&M to officially announce him shortly.
For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
It's not Mark Richt and it's not any of the other candidates suddenly thrown into the mix, but Texas A&M is reportedly close to a deal with its new head coach. And the man is who many expected to see turn up in College Station all along. It took a bit of time for Texas A&M and Kevin Sumlin to get to the final stages of the negotiations that are expected to make the Houston head coach the leading man of the Aggies, but that's where everything stands late on Friday night.
According to Billy Luicci, Sumlin and A&M are in the final stages of negotiations.
As expected and noted on @TexAgs, negotiations between A&M/Kevin Sumlin expected to wrap up on Saturday.
It doesn't mean a deal is done yet, and we've seen plenty fall through so far. Still, Sumlin has been the rumored leading candidate since the job came over, despite a search that's twisted and winded in the last week. And now it appears he's one step away from being announced as the Aggies' new head coach.
For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Well, this was a fun coaching search detour. At one point, all signs were pointing towards the Texas A&M Aggies hiring Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin. And then, out of nowhere, a rumor popped up indicating the Aggies were targeting Mark Richt. If you thought the Richt rumors seemed less than plausible, you were correct.
The whole thing has come full circle now: Richt reportedly shot down A&M and Sumlin is back in the mix, according to Brett Zwerneman.
A high-ranking A&M insider told me Richt has declined Ags' offer and Kevin Sumlin is likely choice, anncmnt as soon as Sat. #mysa
And much like every other coaching search, all parties involved are heading home with a prize. Richt, for having his name floated, will probably end up with a raise. Sumlin may end up getting the A&M job and a likely raise with after all, though this is a bit of an awkward situation considering he now knows the Aggies were flirting with Richt. Houston ... well, almost everyone wins.
For more on the Bulldogs, visit SB Nation Atlanta and Dawg Sports. For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Follow along as Texas A&M gets Mark Richt a raise.
This one's been quietly bubbling up all day before a reporter was able to confirm something related to Mark Richt and the Texas A&M head coaching job. That something isn't news related to Richt considering the Aggies head coaching job. But A&M may consider Richt a candidate for the position left vacant after Mike Sherman was fired in a recruit's driveway.
Here's the report, from Brent Zwenerman of the San Antonio Express-News.
Finally got confirmation the Mark Richt talk is legitimate. Should A&M hire him, Bama DC Kirby Smart likely would head home to Georgia.
Legitimate, however, doesn't mean a deal is going to happen. It may mean the Aggies have made an offer, though. Whether Richt would decide to bail out of Athens remains to be seen, but it seems more likely that his agent is letting this one play out during contract extension time.
For more on the Bulldogs, visit SB Nation Atlanta and Dawg Sports. For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Louisville Cardinals head coach Charlie Strong, who's made it evident he wants to be a SEC coach some day, was reportedly the SEC-bound Texas A&M Aggies' No. 2 choice behind Houston Cougars coach Kevin Sumlin heading into the coaching derby. If you believe this Courier Journal quote from Strong, then it's clear why his name stopped popping up in rumors:
"At some point, just trust me," Strong said. "I'm not looking for a job. I have a job. I'm the head coach at the University of Louisville."
Strong has coached at Louisville for two years since leaving the Florida Gators. He was Urban Meyer's defensive coordinator for almost the entire Meyer era (tongue twister!), since building up a 14-12 record with the Cards.
For more, check out Louisville blog Card Chronicle, Texas A&M blog I Am the 12th Man, and Arizona State blog House Of Sparky. Here's our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Team meetings this time of year usually result in rumors of a coaching change, especially when they involve highly sought after head coaches. But in the case of Kevin Sumlin, a team meeting with the Houston Cougars on Wednesday night was not called to announce he was leaving for a new job, possibly Texas A&M. Instead, the meeting was a completely normal checkup with his Houston football team.
The report comes from Sam Khan Jr., who tweeted a statement from the Houston football spokesman and his own opinion shortly thereafter.
Kevin Sumlin met with the team tonight. Discussed practice and bowl sked, finals, Christmas sked per spokesman Dave Reiter. So those of you waiting to hear that he told the team that he's leaving, don't hold your breath.
There have been reports linking Sumlin to the Texas A&M job, with at least one saying a deal is close, but we'll all have to wait. If Sumlin has a sense of humor about this, he'll call team meetings every day to keep those watching closely on their toes.
For more on the Aggies' coaching search, be sure to check out Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. For the latest on coaching changes, check out SB Nation's Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Kevin Sumlin has reportedly called a team meeting with his players at Houston on Wednesday evening. What the meeting will cover is unknown, but speculation has run rampant about Sumlin taking the Texas A&M head coaching job. According to multiple reports, Sumlin is expected to accept the Texas A&M head coaching job, and the meeting could mean a deal is done.
Sumlin's plans to meet with the team were reported by Richard Justice. The team meeting could mean a coaching change, or it could be something out of left field, but nobody knows what it's about at this time.
Kevin Sumlin will speak to his players at 7 p.m. Whether it's about him leaving or just wanting to ask how lunch was is unknown.
In what may be related news, Aggie Yell is reporting Sumlin and Texas A&M are finalizing a contract.
Sources close to both the Texas A&M and University of Houston programs have told AggieYell.com that, barring a snag in financial negotiations, Houston coach Kevin Sumlin will be the next head coach of the Aggies.
We'll be back with more on Sumlin's plans as information becomes available.
For more on the Aggies' coaching search, be sure to check out Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. For the latest on coaching changes, check out SB Nation's Coaching Carousel Tracker.
The Texas A&M Aggies need a new head coach. To that end, they're probably interviewing your head coach. According to the Dallas Morning News' David Harris, in the past week they've interviewed "Houston's Kevin Sumlin, Southern Mississippi's Larry Fedora, Air Force's Troy Calhoun and Alabama's Kirby Smart."
Sumlin, Fedora, and Smart have reportedly been hotly pursued by other schools, while Calhoun is a bit of a surprise appearance. He's also been reported as a solid candidate for the Kansas Jayhawks gig, but what's the vision here? Sumlin, Fedora, and Calhoun? Really spanning the entire offensive spectrum.
Fedora is the next in line to take the North Carolina Tar Heels job, according to reports.
For more on the Aggies' coaching search, be sure to check out Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. For the latest on coaching changes, check out SB Nation's Coaching Carousel Tracker.
In the head-spinning world of the college football head coaching carousel, one of the hottest names in the pool, Houston Cougars top dog Kevin Sumlin, may be, depending on who you believe, closing in on a deal to become the first black coach in the history of the University of Illinois.
Fighting Illini beat writer John Supinie cited one source and reported that the two sides are close to a deal, meaning Sumlin would take his explosive offense and move it to the Big 10. If he is to be believed, that would make two head coaches, Urban Meyer at Ohio State being the other, known for high-scoring teams revolving around the passing game — or mobile quarterbacks — who are joining the conference that pretty much invented ground-and-pound.
However, TexAgs.com's Billy Liucci pretty much just saw Supinie's source and raised him two:
@billyliucci
Billy Liucci Per three sources very close to the situation, no truth to Sumlin-to-Illinois rumors
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If his sources are Aggies sources, they could just not have been told what's happened yet, or they could be very reliable. Either way, this situation's a confusing one, and more is sure to come out shortly.
For continued updates on Sumlin and his suitors, visit SB Nation Houston, Illini blog Hail to the Orange and A&m blog I Am The 12th Man.
Kevin Sumlin and Larry Fedora reportedly interviewed for the Texas A&M coaching vacancy on Monday. Sumlin is currently the coach at Houston, while Fedora is the head coach at Souther Mississippi. Both would be vying to replace Mike Sherman, who was fired on Thursday after going 25-25 over four mostly lackluster seasons.
@billyliucci
Billy Liucci Kevin Sumlin and Larry Fedora both interviewed with A&M AD Bill Byrne for 2+ hours on Monday in NYC.
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Both Sumlin and Fedora have strong ties to A&M. Sumlin was the Aggies' offensive coordinator from 2001-02 before taking an assistant job at Oklahoma. Fedora is a College Station, Texas native.
Coincidentally, the two coaches faced off in last week's Conference USA championship game, with Southern Miss. emerging with the victory. The Cougars had entered that game 12-0.
Both coaches have also led offensive powers. Houston has been the top offensive team in the country this year, picking up an average of 599 yards per game and scoring 50.8 points per game. The Golden Eagles are 14th in yards and points, with 471.0 and 37.8, respectively.
For more on the Aggies' coaching search, be sure to check out Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. For the latest on coaching changes, check out SB Nation's Coaching Carousel Tracker.
For what it's worth, a Houston AM radio station is reporting Houston Cougars head coach Kevin Sumlin will shortly be unveiled as the next Texas A&M Aggies coach. The report came out during the closing seconds of the 2011 Conference USA Championship, which saw Sumlin's Cougars get shocked by Southern Miss.
@JeffersonPowell CBS Houston is reporting that Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin will be named Texas A&M head coach within 24 hours.
#UHCougars
Sumlin's been A&M's reported top target for a few days now, also reportedly drawing interest from around the Pac-12. Take it for what it's worth, but we've now entered the point at which the murmurs go from Sumlin being targeted to Sumlin being hired.
If accurate, it would mean a jump from Conference USA to the SEC for Sumlin.
For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Houston Cougars coach Kevin Sumlin is on the coaching candidate list of every school in the country. This is not true, but it's starting to feel like it would just save time to assume so. After appearing on the Arizona St. Sun Devils list for a spell and looking to be Texas A&M's top choice, Sumlin's now emerged as the UCLA Bruins next prospect, according to the Los Angeles Daily News:
UCLA is expected to make a serious run at Sumlin, according to the source, and he is clearly their top choice.
According to the report, former Oregon Ducks coach Mike Bellottii isn't a legitimate candidate. Other reports have mentioned Miami Hurricanes coach Al Golden. Boise St. Broncos coach Chris Petersen appeared to be target No. 1, but that wasn't ever going to happen anyway.
For more on UCLA, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Pacific Takes. And here's our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Houston Cougars coach Kevin Sumlin -- presently preoccupied with the Conference USA Championship Game -- has been heavily linked with the Texas A&M Aggies job after being heavily linked with the Arizona St. Sun Devils job. He's a coveted property, no matter who's doing the coveting.
As the Associated Press puts it, Houston athletics director Mack Rhoades "says he'll be 'proactive' in making Sumlin understand how much he's valued by the university."
Enhanced compensation is in Sumlin's immediate future, whether UH is able to pony up sufficiently or not. A&M's pending SEC riches likely mean they can offer anything the Cougars can and then some, even with their various other budget concerns. TAMU is a bigger and better job in a familiar region and one to which Sumlin already has working experience ties.
For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
I'm not saying it was right, but this whole situation at Texas A&M was awkward to begin with, so this ending was kind of fitting. Mike Sherman was fired over the phone on Thursday after word Texas A&M's intentions leaked to the media. The leak forced athletic director Bill Byrne's hand, resulting in a bit of an awkward situation.
Oh, and Sherman was about to step into a recruit's home.
Texas A&M fired football coach Mike Sherman Thursday night, but did so in disorderly fashion. Sherman was reportedly notified over the phone while on a recruiting trip -- just hours after he'd already met with College Station brass. That doesn't reflect well on athletic director Bill Byrne (this doesn't either, nor does this), and Aggies beat writer Brent Zwerneman reports Byrne's job could be on the line as well.
@BrentZwerneman With events of past week being last straws (Toole as part of that), an A&M insider told me to expect dismissal of AD Bill Byrne soon.
#mysa
Byrne has been the A&M AD since 2003. He helped guide the department from the Big 12 and into the SEC, but the record shows he's also used "tu" in reference to the University of Texas.
For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
The Texas A&M Aggies have begun the task of replacing head coach Mike Sherman, who was fired Thursday night. According to reports, the clear top candidates for the job are Houston Cougars coach Kevin Sumlin, who reportedly also has an Arizona St. Sun Devils offer, and Louisville Cardinals coach Charlie Strong.
The list, as has been reported, is pretty much everybody Ole Miss wants plus everybody Arizona State wants. See for yourself! First up, the Star-Telegram:
All signs point to the Aggies pursuing Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, a former A&M assistant, as Sherman's replacement. Sumlin has led the Cougars to a 12-0 record and a berth in Saturday's Conference USA championship game.
Other candidates include Louisville coach Charlie Strong, Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and Boise State coach Chris Petersen.
@kbohls Top three Aggie targets early: Kevin Sumlin, Charlie Strong, Chris Petersen.
@schadjoe Kevin Sumlin, Kirby Smart, Charlie Strong, Larry Fedora in that order for A&M
@fbrumormill Add TCU's Gary Patterson and Louisville's Charlie Strong to your Texas A&M list
A&M is a better job than ASU is, plus Sumlin already knows the school and the area. If he's offered the chance to coach in the SEC, that's the move. Strong, for his part, has long wanted to become a SEC head coach.
For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
The Texas A&M Aggies have fired head coach Mike Sherman, the school announced on Thursday night. Brent Zwerneman of Houston Chronicle reports that Sherman has been officially fired and the leading candidate to replace him is Houston Cougars head coach Kevin Sumlin.
Just received official word of what's been reported: Mike Sherman fired as Texas A&M coach. Kevin Sumlin is leading candidate.
Mike Sherman was hired as the head coach of Texas A&M in 2007, after being a head coach with the Green Bay Packers in the NFL from 2000-2005 and serving as the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans from 2006-2007. During his tenure at Texas A&M, Sherman finished with an overall record of 25-25 and only one winning season.
The Aggies will have an interim coach for the time being, however it appears their current head coaching target is current Houston coach Kevin Sumlin. Sumlin has been the head coach at Houston since 2008 and has amassed a 35-16 record with the Cougars, including a 24-8 record in Conference USA. Sumlin has Cougars team in 2011 undefeated and in the conversation as a BCS buster team. Sumlin has coached a high powered passing attack during his tenure at Houston, with the likes of quarterbacks Kevin Kolb and now the record breaking Case Keenum.
For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Mike Sherman will be fired as Texas A&M head coach, according to a report on Thursday afternoon. Sherman doesn't know it, and is out recruiting, but the decision to part ways has been made. He has not been told of the decision, however, which could create for an awkward meeting at some point -- either with university officials or recruits learning of the news as he is.
The news comes from Kirk Bohls, who cites a source close to the decision. Let's all remember that Sherman is on the road, and may be learning of this news the same way we are. Fun!
Texas A&M has decided to fire football Mike Sherman but has not yet notified him, a prominent Aggie source just told me.
Oh, and there's this whole thing about the extension, too.
A&M would owe Mike Sherman between $3M-$5M because he didn't sign his extension contract, the Aggie source says.
Sherman did meet with at least one regent on Thursday, but chose to leave College Station after to continue to recruit, according to multiple reports. However, it now appears his time as head coach of the Aggies may be coming to an end.
For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Whether Mike Sherman stays or goes as Texas A&M Aggies head coach could be decided within the next day, according to beat writer Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle. And, despite an earlier report that indicated Sherman and his big buyout would likely remain, Zwerneman isn't yet convinced either way.
It appears Sherman has about a 50-50 chance - this could still go either way and nothing has been decided for certain - of returning for a fifth season. This has all moved very fast over the past 24 hours, perhaps with the idea that some mightily influential Aggies, with the backing of school president R. Bowen Loftin, have already targeted a candidate to replace Sherman, 25-25 over his first four seasons.
Sherman is 25-25 in four years in College Station, and only 15-18 in the Big 12. Whether the Aggies want to charge into the SEC with him as their head coach should be decided soon.
For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
What a difference a few fourth quarters make. If not for five late collapses, the Texas A&M Aggies could be as good as 11-1 right now and threatening for a national championship spot. But they aren't, so things like this get said about head coach Mike Sherman by higher-ups, statements like this are necessitated, and the question of whether he'll come back next season must be addressed.
Chip Brown of OrangeBloods.com, for one, reports Sherman will remain with the Aggies through their SEC debut.
@ChipBrownOB I'm told Mike Sherman - and his $8 million buyout - will be back at Texas A&M next season.
It would be the longtime NFL coach's fifth year in College Station, during which time he's produced only one winning season and nary a bowl victory so far.
For more on the Aggies, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man. And check in with our 2011 Coaching Carousel Tracker.
Houston Cougars football coach Kevin Sumlin has been in preliminary discussions about a contract renegotiation recently with Houston athletic director Mack Rhoades.
According to Sumlin, he and Rhoades both want to save further discussions until the season is over (via Houston Chronicle).
"There's just so much going on right now, trying to win a conference championship and trying to remain focused on our original goal, that I think both of us are more comfortable, certainly I am, doing that after the season. We've had a couple discussions…about things in general. Like I said, I know that I'm more comfortable doing that after the season and I think he is too."
Sumlin led the Cougars to a 12-0 record this season and Houston, with a win in the Conference USA Championship game, is in position for its first BCS Bowl invitation. Houston is 35-23 in four seasons under Sumlin and his current team lead the nation in total offense (613.3 yards per game), scoring (52.7 points per game) and passing yards (449.7 per game).
Sumlin's current contract runs through the 2015 season with a $1 million per year salary.If he completes the 2012 season with Houstin, he can earn another $1 million in deferred compensation.
Sumlin told reporters Monday that he has not spoken to any other schools about openings or potential opportunities.
Mike Sherman Landing With Dolphins, Reportedly
by Jason Kirk
Fired Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman will reportedly become a Miami Dolphins coordinator.
Jan 27 11:40a